Župljanin won't plead, accuses Serbia of murder conspiracy

Stojan Zupljanin on Monday refused to enter his plea at the initial appearance in front of the Hague Tribunal. Zupljanin, a Bosnian Serb, is charged with war crimes against the Bosnian Croats and Muslims during the 1992-1995 war in that country. Zupljanin won't plead, accuses Serbia of murder conspiracy Today, Zupljanin accused the Serbian authorities of conspiring to kill him, along with other Hague fugitives. From the Hague courtroom today, he addressed “his brothers” – Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic – to say that he wishes them to “always remain free”. Zupljanin explained that he wants to act on his right to enter a plea within the next 30 days, because, in his words, he is yet to receive the indictment against him. "Since I haven’t received the indictment, I don’t wish to plea on this occasion,” Zupljanin said. Presiding Judge Ole Bjorn Stole then postponed this procedure. Asked by the judge, Zupljanin confirmed his identity, but he first accused the Serbian authorities of intending to kill him, along with the three other Hague fugitives still at large. In reference to Serbia's president, prime minister, BIA head and chief war crimes prosecutor, he said that "[Boris] Tadic, [Vojislav] Kostunica, [Rade] Bulatovic and [Vladimir] Vukcevic, in a meeting held four years ago, decided that it was in the best interest of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska for us to be liquidated”. "Thank God, they didn’t know who they were arresting. Fortunately, I was carrying false documents of one Branislav Vukadin, that has been talked so much about these days,” Zupljanin said. While judge Stole read out the summary of the indictment, Zupljanin was smiling, reports from the tribunal said. Zupljanin was the high ranking police official in the self-proclaimed Autonomous Region of Krajina, in northwest of Bosnia, during the war there, and a former adviser of the wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic. He is charged with participating in the joint criminal act whose objective, the Hague prosecution says, was to eliminate and permanently remove Bosnian Muslims and Croats during 1992. The prosecution charges him with murder, persecution, extermination, torture, harsh treatment and inhumane acts, deportation and wanton destruction, and cleansing of towns and villages of the non-Serb population. Zupljanin was taken to the tribunal’s detention unit on Saturday, after Belgrade extradited him via a regular flight to the Netherlands. The indictment names more than 40 cases of murders allegedly committed by the forces under Zupljanin’s control. Earlier, the Hague court found Radoslav Brdjanin guilty and sentenced him to 30 years in prison for participating in a campaign of persecution and other war crimes against the non-Serb population in the same area of Bosnia. Zupljanin, who was arrested on June 11 in a Pancevo apartment, two days later refused to receive the Hague indictment, denying his identity, claiming to be Branislav Vukadin. But the DNA tests proved his identity, and the results of the analysis were forwarded to the court Special Court in Belgrade on June 14. The government then approved Zupljanin's extradition with a decision signed by Justice Minister Dusan Petrovic.

Župljanin won't plead, accuses Serbia of murder conspiracy

Today, Župljanin accused the Serbian authorities of conspiring to kill him, along with other Hague fugitives. From the Hague courtroom today, he addressed “his brothers” – Radovan Karadžić, Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić – to say that he wishes them to “always remain free”.

Župljanin explained that he wants to act on his right to enter a plea within the next 30 days, because, in his words, he is yet to receive the indictment against him.

"Since I haven’t received the indictment, I don’t wish to plea on this occasion,” Župljanin said. Presiding Judge Ole Bjorn Stole then postponed this procedure.

Asked by the judge, Župljanin confirmed his identity, but he first accused the Serbian authorities of intending to kill him, along with the three other Hague fugitives still at large.

In reference to Serbia's president, prime minister, BIA head and chief war crimes prosecutor, he said that "[Boris] Tadić, [Vojislav] Koštunica, [Rade] Bulatović and [Vladimir] Vukčević, in a meeting held four years ago, decided that it was in the best interest of Serbia and the Republic of Srpska for us to be liquidated”.

"Thank God, they didn’t know who they were arresting. Fortunately, I was carrying false documents of one Branislav Vukadin, that has been talked so much about these days,” Župljanin said.

While judge Stole read out the summary of the indictment, Župljanin was smiling, reports from the tribunal said.

Župljanin was the high ranking police official in the self-proclaimed Autonomous Region of Krajina, in northwest of Bosnia, during the war there, and a former adviser of the wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić.

He is charged with participating in the joint criminal act whose objective, the Hague prosecution says, was to eliminate and permanently remove Bosnian Muslims and Croats during 1992.

The prosecution charges him with murder, persecution, extermination, torture, harsh treatment and inhumane acts, deportation and wanton destruction, and cleansing of towns and villages of the non-Serb population.

Župljanin was taken to the tribunal’s detention unit on Saturday, after Belgrade extradited him via a regular flight to the Netherlands.

The indictment names more than 40 cases of murders allegedly committed by the forces under Župljanin’s control.

Earlier, the Hague court found Radoslav Brđanin guilty and sentenced him to 30 years in prison for participating in a campaign of persecution and other war crimes against the non-Serb population in the same area of Bosnia.

Župljanin, who was arrested on June 11 in a Pančevo apartment, two days later refused to receive the Hague indictment, denying his identity, claiming to be Branislav Vukadin.

But the DNA tests proved his identity, and the results of the analysis were forwarded to the court Special Court in Belgrade on June 14.

The government then approved Župljanin's extradition with a decision signed by Justice Minister Dušan Petrović.