Parliamentary committee on Karadžić arrest

Parliament’s Committee for Security met today to discuss the circumstances of the arrest of Radovan Karadzic. Internal Affairs Minister Ivica Dacic, SPS, reiterated that MUP officers “had nothing to do with the arrest”. Parliamentary committee on Karadzic arrest “The National Council gave a statement which said that Karadzic was arrested by the security services, and the Ministry of Interior [MUP] is not a security service,” according to him. But Dacic revealed that that while searching the apartment in which Karadzic was hiding, police found copies of documents from the Republic of Srpska Army, VRS, general staff. He said that the MUP officers searched the apartment on the order of Investigative Judge Milan Dilparic. The minister also said that handwritten documents, data, books and photographs were recovered. Addressing the council, Dacic said that the task of the MUP after hearing of the arrest was to secure the building of the Special Court and provide public order, adding that, later on, it was MUP’s obligation to secure the safety of those participating in demonstrations along with the journalists covering the protests and the foreign embassies in Belgrade. Dacic said that he is “disappointed” by the fact that there were incidents, and called on “everyone to be calm”, stating that two of the suspects who attacked journalists have been arrested while “others are being located as well”. The interior minister said that Judge Dilparic ordered the MUP to provide information regarding the ID issued to the name of Dragan Dabic, which Karadzic used while in hiding, adding that there are 61 persons in Serbia with that name. “It was confirmed that an ID card was issued to the name Dragan Dabic in Ruma on April 20, 1999,” he said, adding that all the information contained in that ID matched that found in the card which Karadzic was carrying. The chairman of the committee, Dragan Todorovic, SRS, expressed his confidence that Hague indictee Radovan Karadzic was arrested by a "third party,” since members of the MUP and the Military Security Agency (VBA), as he put it, “had no part in this operation”. Todorovic said that today “arrived yet another confirmation from Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, as well as from VBA chief Svetko Kovac, that members of these services had no part in Karadzic's arrest”. “We have to establish who can make arrests in Serbia and whether it is allowed to violate the constitution and laws,” Todorovic said, and added that the committee, however, could not establish whether members of the Security Information Agency (BIA) participated in the operation because its new chief, Sasa Vukadinovic, did not attend the session, “even though the invitation was sent to him”. The committee members from the Democratic Party (DS) and the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) accused Todorovic of pushing a partisan agenda at the meeting today, abusing it in preparation for tomorrow’s rally called in protest of the arrest last week. After two and a half hours of the debate, the committee adopted conclusions which said that the Hague indictee Radovan Karadzic was detained legally. “In this manner, the legal order of Serbia was confirmed, as was Serbia’s complete commitment to upholding international law,” the document says, and adds that this is “a necessary element in the fight to preserve Kosovo and Metohija”. The Radical (SRS) members of the committee voted against these conclusions. The committee decided to order BIA, VBA, and military intelligence to submit written reports on the Karadzic arrest. The committee, which met today in Belgrade in an open session, also called on state institutions to react to recent death threats sent to President Boris Tadic, hate speech in politics and violence against journalists. The committee in session today (FoNet)

Parliamentary committee on Karadžić arrest

“The National Council gave a statement which said that Karadžić was arrested by the security services, and the Ministry of Interior [MUP] is not a security service,” according to him.

But Dačić revealed that that while searching the apartment in which Karadžić was hiding, police found copies of documents from the Republic of Srpska Army, VRS, general staff.

He said that the MUP officers searched the apartment on the order of Investigative Judge Milan Dilparić.

The minister also said that handwritten documents, data, books and photographs were recovered.

Addressing the council, Dačić said that the task of the MUP after hearing of the arrest was to secure the building of the Special Court and provide public order, adding that, later on, it was MUP’s obligation to secure the safety of those participating in demonstrations along with the journalists covering the protests and the foreign embassies in Belgrade.

Dačić said that he is “disappointed” by the fact that there were incidents, and called on “everyone to be calm”, stating that two of the suspects who attacked journalists have been arrested while “others are being located as well”.

The interior minister said that Judge Dilparić ordered the MUP to provide information regarding the ID issued to the name of Dragan Dabić, which Karadžić used while in hiding, adding that there are 61 persons in Serbia with that name.

“It was confirmed that an ID card was issued to the name Dragan Dabić in Ruma on April 20, 1999,” he said, adding that all the information contained in that ID matched that found in the card which Karadžić was carrying.

The chairman of the committee, Dragan Todorović, SRS, expressed his confidence that Hague indictee Radovan Karadžić was arrested by a "third party,” since members of the MUP and the Military Security Agency (VBA), as he put it, “had no part in this operation”.

Todorović said that today “arrived yet another confirmation from Interior Minister Ivica Dačić, as well as from VBA chief Svetko Kovač, that members of these services had no part in Karadžić's arrest”.

“We have to establish who can make arrests in Serbia and whether it is allowed to violate the constitution and laws,” Todorović said, and added that the committee, however, could not establish whether members of the Security Information Agency (BIA) participated in the operation because its new chief, Saša Vukadinović, did not attend the session, “even though the invitation was sent to him”.

The committee members from the Democratic Party (DS) and the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) accused Todorović of pushing a partisan agenda at the meeting today, abusing it in preparation for tomorrow’s rally called in protest of the arrest last week.

After two and a half hours of the debate, the committee adopted conclusions which said that the Hague indictee Radovan Karadžić was detained legally.

“In this manner, the legal order of Serbia was confirmed, as was Serbia’s complete commitment to upholding international law,” the document says, and adds that this is “a necessary element in the fight to preserve Kosovo and Metohija”.

The Radical (SRS) members of the committee voted against these conclusions.

The committee decided to order BIA, VBA, and military intelligence to submit written reports on the Karadžić arrest.

The committee, which met today in Belgrade in an open session, also called on state institutions to react to recent death threats sent to President Boris Tadić, hate speech in politics and violence against journalists.