Prosecutor expects Mladić arrest this year

War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic says he expects Serbia's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal to be finalized in 2009. Vukcevic, who is also a coordinator of the Action Team set up to cooperate with this UN war crimes court based in The Hague, added that he expects former Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic to be arrested this year. Prosecutor expects Mladic arrest this year He repeated that there is political will to cooperate with the Hague, and that it has been assessed that Mladic is hiding in Serbia. "I think that no one can doubt the political will, and I think that after Karadzic and Zupljanin it is clear. You can see he's not there," Vukcevic told B92, speaking about Mladic. "He's not there, five members of the Zemun Clan are not there. It's not easy to find these people, this is a big country, Belgrade in particular," the prosecutor continued. "Whoever says that they know Mladic is in Serbia, or that he is not, must know where he is. I have said it many times that my assessment is that Mladic is in Serbia." Commenting on Mladic's psychological profile that recently surfaced in the media, Vukcevic says he was "surprised", adding that he "does not know who the leak is", and that it "neither helps nor hampers the investigation". "I wish to say that plenty of what I saw in the newspapers is true. I see someone has given Ratko Mladic's physiological profile which – it's true – we made. BIA, the Action Team, and us." Several raids launched recently, he said, were aimed at locating the Hague fugitive. "If you think that was some show we put up, it was not. I can say those were our tactical moves in finding Mladic," Vukcevic said, and added that 2008 was the most successful year yet in Serbia's cooperation with the Hague. Asked about the threats he received after Radovan Karadzic was arrested, Vukcevic said the FBI managed to identify three persons in Chicago in connections to this. "However, they are elderly people who think it's patriotic to write to me and threaten me. Nothing else was found." "Those so-called patriots think they will achieve something if they threaten me. I am simply in a position where I have to bring Karadzic and Mladic to justice, that is, to bring them to the Hague where they will be tried for their actions," Vukcevic continued. "We are not sending them to the gallows, but to a court. It's the only place where they can prove their innocence, that is, where prosecutors can prove their guilt. So, whether we like it or not, Hague is unavoidable, we cannot bypass it." No show: a MUP policeman a search for Mladic in Arandjelovac (Beta)

Prosecutor expects Mladić arrest this year

He repeated that there is political will to cooperate with the Hague, and that it has been assessed that Mladić is hiding in Serbia.

"I think that no one can doubt the political will, and I think that after Karadžić and Župljanin it is clear. You can see he's not there," Vukčević told B92, speaking about Mladić.

"He's not there, five members of the Zemun Clan are not there. It's not easy to find these people, this is a big country, Belgrade in particular," the prosecutor continued.

"Whoever says that they know Mladić is in Serbia, or that he is not, must know where he is. I have said it many times that my assessment is that Mladić is in Serbia."

Commenting on Mladić's psychological profile that recently surfaced in the media, Vukčević says he was "surprised", adding that he "does not know who the leak is", and that it "neither helps nor hampers the investigation".

"I wish to say that plenty of what I saw in the newspapers is true. I see someone has given Ratko Mladić's physiological profile which – it's true – we made. BIA, the Action Team, and us."

Several raids launched recently, he said, were aimed at locating the Hague fugitive.

"If you think that was some show we put up, it was not. I can say those were our tactical moves in finding Mladić," Vukčević said, and added that 2008 was the most successful year yet in Serbia's cooperation with the Hague.

Asked about the threats he received after Radovan Karadžić was arrested, Vukčević said the FBI managed to identify three persons in Chicago in connections to this.

"However, they are elderly people who think it's patriotic to write to me and threaten me. Nothing else was found."

"Those so-called patriots think they will achieve something if they threaten me. I am simply in a position where I have to bring Karadžić and Mladić to justice, that is, to bring them to the Hague where they will be tried for their actions," Vukčević continued.

"We are not sending them to the gallows, but to a court. It's the only place where they can prove their innocence, that is, where prosecutors can prove their guilt. So, whether we like it or not, Hague is unavoidable, we cannot bypass it."