RS PM: Ganić can’t escape justice

Republic of Srpska (RS) PM Milorad Dodik says the arrest of former member of Bosnia's Presidency Ejup Ganic has "reinstated trust in the system of justice". Dodik said that “justice could never be too late, if those who had committed crimes found themselves before court and got convicted". RS PM: Ganic can’t escape justice He added that Serbia has finally started to process crimes committed against Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina, "because it became visible that the institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina were not capable of doing that, due to pressures of the international factors and pressures from the public in Sarajevo". “Ganic could not have escaped justice because he is undoubtedly more guilty for the war than (former RS President) Biljana Plavsic, who was accused sue to command responsibility. He undoubtedly directly commanded the operations,” the RS PM said. He pointed out that Ganic “had made political decisions and even commanded the crimes of volunteer squads, about which there is information.” “Participation in the political life of the time, involvement and incitement of crimes is something that brought many Serbs to the (Hague) Tribunal, so why would Ganic be an exception,” Dodik stated. He blamed "previous stereotypes" for protecting criminals, "such as Ganic and Haris Silajdzic, together with Alija Izetbegovic, whose crimes against Serbs caused the war". Dodik also said he believed Serbia had sufficient evidence to present to the UK as it seeks the extradition of Ganic, adding that the evidence was put together according to the Hague Tribunal manner. The prime minister also expressed his satisfaction over the fact that the British court decided against releasing Ganic on bail on Wednesday. “It concerns direct involvement in the crime which should be viewed from the judicial point of view, and not the way Sarajevo has been doing it, by politicizing the issue to the point where it becomes distasteful. They wanted the institutions of Bosnia-Herzegovina to pay for the defense of Ejup Ganic, who directly participated in the crimes and commanded over the crimes,” said Dodik, who is on a three-day visit to Moscow. The media in Banja Luka reported that the RS premier said that Ganic case had shown that the judiciary in the UK was "functioning according to principles of objectivity and professionalism". Commenting on the sharp rhetoric coming from politicians in Sarajevo, and warnings about possibly cutting off the diplomatic relations with Belgrade over the case, as well as those coming from Muslim member of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina Haris Silajdzic who said that he would "fight using all means to defend the dignity of the resistance to the aggression against Bosnia-Herzegovina”, Dodik said that “Silajdzic is defending his comrade and an obvious criminal who participated in creating crimes”. “Silajdzic will likely find himself in a similar position and a similar situation some day, so that’s why he's defending himself, not Ganic, because he too commanded and was preparing crimes against Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the process of the break-up of the former Yugoslavia,” he said. Dodik emphasized that the diplomatic relations with Serbia was not an issue up to the Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), "but up to Bosnia-Herzegovina, where the Serb republic is a significant factor", and added that RS would not accept the severing of diplomatic ties with Serbia.

RS PM: Ganić can’t escape justice

He added that Serbia has finally started to process crimes committed against Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina, "because it became visible that the institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina were not capable of doing that, due to pressures of the international factors and pressures from the public in Sarajevo".

“Ganić could not have escaped justice because he is undoubtedly more guilty for the war than (former RS President) Biljana Plavšić, who was accused sue to command responsibility. He undoubtedly directly commanded the operations,” the RS PM said.

He pointed out that Ganić “had made political decisions and even commanded the crimes of volunteer squads, about which there is information.”

“Participation in the political life of the time, involvement and incitement of crimes is something that brought many Serbs to the (Hague) Tribunal, so why would Ganić be an exception,” Dodik stated.

He blamed "previous stereotypes" for protecting criminals, "such as Ganić and Haris Silajdžić, together with Alija Izetbegović, whose crimes against Serbs caused the war".

Dodik also said he believed Serbia had sufficient evidence to present to the UK as it seeks the extradition of Ganić, adding that the evidence was put together according to the Hague Tribunal manner.

The prime minister also expressed his satisfaction over the fact that the British court decided against releasing Ganić on bail on Wednesday.

“It concerns direct involvement in the crime which should be viewed from the judicial point of view, and not the way Sarajevo has been doing it, by politicizing the issue to the point where it becomes distasteful. They wanted the institutions of Bosnia-Herzegovina to pay for the defense of Ejup Ganić, who directly participated in the crimes and commanded over the crimes,” said Dodik, who is on a three-day visit to Moscow.

The media in Banja Luka reported that the RS premier said that Ganić case had shown that the judiciary in the UK was "functioning according to principles of objectivity and professionalism".

Commenting on the sharp rhetoric coming from politicians in Sarajevo, and warnings about possibly cutting off the diplomatic relations with Belgrade over the case, as well as those coming from Muslim member of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina Haris Silajdžić who said that he would "fight using all means to defend the dignity of the resistance to the aggression against Bosnia-Herzegovina”, Dodik said that “Silajdžić is defending his comrade and an obvious criminal who participated in creating crimes”.

“Silajdžić will likely find himself in a similar position and a similar situation some day, so that’s why he's defending himself, not Ganić, because he too commanded and was preparing crimes against Serbs in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in the process of the break-up of the former Yugoslavia,” he said.

Dodik emphasized that the diplomatic relations with Serbia was not an issue up to the Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims), "but up to Bosnia-Herzegovina, where the Serb republic is a significant factor", and added that RS would not accept the severing of diplomatic ties with Serbia.