Ljajić dismisses Brammertz claims

Head of the National Council for Hague Cooperation Rasim Ljajic denies claims that the remaining Hague fugitives are within reach of the Serbian authorities. “The fact is that four Hague fugitives have not been extradited, and we are aware of this obligation and we known that the international community will continue putting pressure on us until the last Hague fugitive has been handed over,” Ljajic said in response to a report given to the UN by Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz. Ljajic dismisses Brammertz claims “What is written in the report about the Hague fugitives being within Belgrade’s reach and that their extradition depends only on political will is just not true. Not only is it not true, but it’s in our own interests for them to be extradited to the Hague as soon as possible. Unfortunately, they have not been located, nor do we have any clues currently leading to them,” Ljajic stressed. The head of the National Council said that Brammertz’s claims that the Tribunal did not have access to Serbian archives were also false, adding that this part of the report had surprised him. He said that Brammertz’s report would not have any direct negative political repercussions, but, as he put it, it is not good when one’s country is mentioned in a negative context at a UN Security Council session. Yesterday, Ljajic said a future pro-EU and democratic government "will finish off business with the Hague and lift that burden off Serbia's back." At a UN Security Council session devoted to the Hague Tribunal's work, where tribunal and prosecution representatives presented their reports, the head of the Serbian National Council for Cooperation with the Hague said that it was not true that the fugitives' arrest and extradition depended purely on Belgrade's political will. "It is also in our interests to have them in the Hague as soon as possible, but unfortunately they have not been located and we have no clues leading to the fugitives, although there is no doubt that those activities will intensify after a new government is formed," he told reporters in Nis. According to the head of the National Council, "the report by the Tribunal's chief prosecutor [Serge Brammertz] does include correct assessments, which we do not dispute, but there are also issues we do not agree with and which contradict reality." "The fact is that the four fugitives have not been arrested and extradited, and we are aware of that obligation, but the comment that they are within Belgrade's reach is not true," Ljajic insisted. He went on to say that he believed a democratic, pro-European government would be formed, and would keep the Hague Tribunal issue open until it was fully wrapped up. The head of the National Council underlined that, at the moment, there was no operative data on the whereabouts of the fugitives. "We have had elections, a long election campaign and now we have a period of forming a government, and it is unrealistic to expect those activities to intensify in this kind of political environment, but they will intensify after a new government is formed," Ljajic pledged. Rasim Ljajic (FoNet, archive)

Ljajić dismisses Brammertz claims

“What is written in the report about the Hague fugitives being within Belgrade’s reach and that their extradition depends only on political will is just not true. Not only is it not true, but it’s in our own interests for them to be extradited to the Hague as soon as possible. Unfortunately, they have not been located, nor do we have any clues currently leading to them,” Ljajić stressed.

The head of the National Council said that Brammertz’s claims that the Tribunal did not have access to Serbian archives were also false, adding that this part of the report had surprised him.

He said that Brammertz’s report would not have any direct negative political repercussions, but, as he put it, it is not good when one’s country is mentioned in a negative context at a UN Security Council session.

Yesterday, Ljajić said a future pro-EU and democratic government "will finish off business with the Hague and lift that burden off Serbia's back."

At a UN Security Council session devoted to the Hague Tribunal's work, where tribunal and prosecution representatives presented their reports, the head of the Serbian National Council for Cooperation with the Hague said that it was not true that the fugitives' arrest and extradition depended purely on Belgrade's political will.

"It is also in our interests to have them in the Hague as soon as possible, but unfortunately they have not been located and we have no clues leading to the fugitives, although there is no doubt that those activities will intensify after a new government is formed," he told reporters in Niš.

According to the head of the National Council, "the report by the Tribunal's chief prosecutor [Serge Brammertz] does include correct assessments, which we do not dispute, but there are also issues we do not agree with and which contradict reality."

"The fact is that the four fugitives have not been arrested and extradited, and we are aware of that obligation, but the comment that they are within Belgrade's reach is not true," Ljajić insisted.

He went on to say that he believed a democratic, pro-European government would be formed, and would keep the Hague Tribunal issue open until it was fully wrapped up.

The head of the National Council underlined that, at the moment, there was no operative data on the whereabouts of the fugitives.

"We have had elections, a long election campaign and now we have a period of forming a government, and it is unrealistic to expect those activities to intensify in this kind of political environment, but they will intensify after a new government is formed," Ljajić pledged.