Del Ponte expects Hague indictees in jail

Chief Hague Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte is in Belgrade this Thursday, beginning a two-day visit to Serbia. After the meeting with National Council for Cooperation with the ICTY President Rasim Ljajic, Del Ponte said she does not wish to be an obstacle in the way of Serbia's European integrations, but pointed out that she expects the remaining Hague indictees still at large to be extradited to the Tribunal as soon as possible. Del Ponte expects Hague indictees in jail As she met with Serbian officials, the sides discussed the documents sent to the court since the chief prosecutor's last visit. Today and in the coming days, the Hague representatives will continue to receive important documents per ICTY requests, Ljajic's office said. Del Ponte expressed a positive view of the access to the Defense Ministry archives, implemented in keeping with the agreement on insight into the archives of the Serbian state organs. Ljajic and Del Ponte also discussed modalities for the Tribunal's access to the state security agency, BIA, archives, the statement added. Del Ponte will also meet with President and Prime Minister Boris Tadic and Vojislav Kostunica, war crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic, Security Information Agency and Military Security Agency Chiefs Rade Bulatovic and Svetko Kovac today, and tomorrow with officials of the NATO Assembly, who will be visiting Belgrade as well. Earlier today, B92’s sources suggested that Serbian government team fset up to improve Hague cooperation would inform the chief Hague prosecutor of new measures that have been taken in the search for those indicted, and uncovering the network of helpers aiding their hiding efforts. The team members, who have been meeting nearly every day recently, will inform Del Ponte of the results of recent actions and decision by the Serbian government to offer a reward for information that could potentially lead to the arrests of Ratko Mladic, Goran Hadzic and Stojan Zupljanin. Following her visit, Del Ponte is expected to report to the European Union on Serbia’s level of cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said yesterday that Serbia’s further EU integration depends on Del Ponte’s report, since all the technical aspects of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) have been completed. Speaking to members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Rehn said that Europe is prepared to sign the agreement with Serbia, but that the government in Belgrade has yet to complete its tasks. “I clearly told the Serbian government that the signing of the SAA is within its reach. This is now a question of political will and a transition from a possibility to showing results. We will be ready when Serbia is ready. It is clear that the ball is in Serbia’s court now,” Rehn said. Jelko Kacin, the European Parliament's rapporteur on relations between the European Union and Serbia, also agrees with Rehn. In the past couple of days, army and police officials also had military barracks in Zrenjanin, Pancevo and Bela Crkva searched in order to clear suspicions that the fugitives could be hiding in these facilities. Today, Serbian Army (VS) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Zdravko Ponos told reporters that the army was not harboring indicted war crime suspects and that the recent searches conducted in barracks in Vojvodina "are part of regular activities." "If the Serbian Army were harboring indicted war crime suspects, it would not have to search for them," Ponos said after a meeting with his Hungarian counterpart, Gen. Andras Havril in Sombor, Vojvodina. Ponos added that in the past days mostly empty barracks were searched, which the Serbian Army is not using, so as to "remove all doubt." The army chief said that before barracks across Vojvodina were raided the same activities took place in other parts of Serbia, "but the local media was not present to record it." Ljajic, Del Ponte in meeting (FoNet)

Del Ponte expects Hague indictees in jail

As she met with Serbian officials, the sides discussed the documents sent to the court since the chief prosecutor's last visit.

Today and in the coming days, the Hague representatives will continue to receive important documents per ICTY requests, Ljajić's office said.

Del Ponte expressed a positive view of the access to the Defense Ministry archives, implemented in keeping with the agreement on insight into the archives of the Serbian state organs.

Ljajić and Del Ponte also discussed modalities for the Tribunal's access to the state security agency, BIA, archives, the statement added.

Del Ponte will also meet with President and Prime Minister Boris Tadić and Vojislav Koštunica, war crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukčević, Security Information Agency and Military Security Agency Chiefs Rade Bulatović and Svetko Kovač today, and tomorrow with officials of the NATO Assembly, who will be visiting Belgrade as well.

Earlier today, B92’s sources suggested that Serbian government team fset up to improve Hague cooperation would inform the chief Hague prosecutor of new measures that have been taken in the search for those indicted, and uncovering the network of helpers aiding their hiding efforts.

The team members, who have been meeting nearly every day recently, will inform Del Ponte of the results of recent actions and decision by the Serbian government to offer a reward for information that could potentially lead to the arrests of Ratko Mladić, Goran Hadžić and Stojan Župljanin.

Following her visit, Del Ponte is expected to report to the European Union on Serbia’s level of cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

European Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said yesterday that Serbia’s further EU integration depends on Del Ponte’s report, since all the technical aspects of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) have been completed.

Speaking to members of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Rehn said that Europe is prepared to sign the agreement with Serbia, but that the government in Belgrade has yet to complete its tasks.

“I clearly told the Serbian government that the signing of the SAA is within its reach. This is now a question of political will and a transition from a possibility to showing results. We will be ready when Serbia is ready. It is clear that the ball is in Serbia’s court now,” Rehn said.

Jelko Kacin, the European Parliament's rapporteur on relations between the European Union and Serbia, also agrees with Rehn.

In the past couple of days, army and police officials also had military barracks in Zrenjanin, Pančevo and Bela Crkva searched in order to clear suspicions that the fugitives could be hiding in these facilities.

Today, Serbian Army (VS) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Zdravko Ponoš told reporters that the army was not harboring indicted war crime suspects and that the recent searches conducted in barracks in Vojvodina "are part of regular activities."

"If the Serbian Army were harboring indicted war crime suspects, it would not have to search for them," Ponoš said after a meeting with his Hungarian counterpart, Gen. Andras Havril in Sombor, Vojvodina.

Ponoš added that in the past days mostly empty barracks were searched, which the Serbian Army is not using, so as to "remove all doubt."

The army chief said that before barracks across Vojvodina were raided the same activities took place in other parts of Serbia, "but the local media was not present to record it."