Justice Ministry on Divjak arrest

Serbian Justice Ministry has stated that former Bosnia-Herzegovina General Jovan Divjak was arrested in Vienna on a Serbian arrest warrant. The release points out that Interpol office in Vienna arrested the Bosnian general on the international arrest warrant issued by Serbia. Justice Ministry on Divjak arrest Austrian authorities in the meantime announced that Divjak was placed in 14-day extradition detention. The Justice Ministry states that it will act in accordance with its jurisdiction. “Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic and Bosnia-Herzegovina Chief State Prosecutor Milorad Barasanin spoke on the phone this morning and discussed the Dobrovoljacka Street case and Divjak’s arrest,“ said Serbian War Crimes Prosecution Spokesman Bruno Vekaric. He also said that the Serbian prosecution still had not received any official documents about the arrest of Divjak and that he would have more information after the prosecution had received the documents. Serbia issued the international warrant seeking his arrest over charges of committing a war crime against Yugoslav Peoples Army (JNA) troops in Dobrovoljacka Street in Sarajevo in 1991. The Bosnian general is suspected of war crimes against prisoners of war and unlawful killing of the enemy. He should appear before an investigative judge in Vienna later today. Jovan Divjak (Wikipedia) RS president: He should have been arrested sooner Republic of Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik has stated that Divjak should have been arrested a long time ago. “The crimes that Divjak and others committed in Dobrovoljacka Street in Sarajevo are evident,” he said. When asked whether he expected that Divjak would be extradited to Serbia, the RS president said he hoped so and that the Serbian judicial bodies were prepared for it. Dodik hopes that the Serbian prosecution is ready for the case this time, unlike the previous ones, bearing in mind wartime member of Bosnia-Herzegovia Presidency Ejup Ganic who was detained in March 2010 at London airport and later released by a British court. The aftermath of the Dobrovoljacka St. massacre in May 1992 (Tanjug) NGOs: War Crimes Prosecution’s new game NGOs in RS have assessed that the arrest of the retired general in Vienna has a political background and that it is just a new game of the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution. “Jovan Divjak will return to Sarajevo as a hero, just like Ejup Ganic, and the victims of war will once again be ashamed and humiliated. If this case ends up like previous ones, I think that Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic should resign,” said Organization of Families of Killed, Captured and Missing Serbian Soldiers and Civilians Director Nedeljko Mitrovic. Association of Camp Inmates of the RS President Branislav Dukic has assessed that the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution “is making a farce” by arresting Divjak, stressing that Ganic was arrested on the same grounds but later released. He told reporters that the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution had failed in the cases of Ilija Jurisic and Tihomir Purda, adding that the prosecution could end up being dissolved as a result. Protests to be held in Sarajevo Citizens of Sarajevo have scheduled a peaceful protest against Divjak's arrest in front of the Austrian Embassy for tomorrow. Bosnian Ambassador in Vienna Haris Hrle said that the retired general would get all the necessary help from the embassy. A peaceful protest was held last night in front of the Austrian Embassy in Sarajevo. According to media reports, a protest was also held in downtown Vienna where about 20 cars with Bosnia-Herzegovina's flags gathered.

Justice Ministry on Divjak arrest

Austrian authorities in the meantime announced that Divjak was placed in 14-day extradition detention.

The Justice Ministry states that it will act in accordance with its jurisdiction.

“Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukčević and Bosnia-Herzegovina Chief State Prosecutor Milorad Barašanin spoke on the phone this morning and discussed the Dobrovoljačka Street case and Divjak’s arrest,“ said Serbian War Crimes Prosecution Spokesman Bruno Vekarić.

He also said that the Serbian prosecution still had not received any official documents about the arrest of Divjak and that he would have more information after the prosecution had received the documents.

Serbia issued the international warrant seeking his arrest over charges of committing a war crime against Yugoslav Peoples Army (JNA) troops in Dobrovoljačka Street in Sarajevo in 1991.

The Bosnian general is suspected of war crimes against prisoners of war and unlawful killing of the enemy.

He should appear before an investigative judge in Vienna later today.

RS president: He should have been arrested sooner

Republic of Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik has stated that Divjak should have been arrested a long time ago.

“The crimes that Divjak and others committed in Dobrovoljačka Street in Sarajevo are evident,” he said.

When asked whether he expected that Divjak would be extradited to Serbia, the RS president said he hoped so and that the Serbian judicial bodies were prepared for it.

Dodik hopes that the Serbian prosecution is ready for the case this time, unlike the previous ones, bearing in mind wartime member of Bosnia-Herzegovia Presidency Ejup Ganić who was detained in March 2010 at London airport and later released by a British court.

NGOs: War Crimes Prosecution’s new game

NGOs in RS have assessed that the arrest of the retired general in Vienna has a political background and that it is just a new game of the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution.

“Jovan Divjak will return to Sarajevo as a hero, just like Ejup Ganić, and the victims of war will once again be ashamed and humiliated. If this case ends up like previous ones, I think that Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukčević should resign,” said Organization of Families of Killed, Captured and Missing Serbian Soldiers and Civilians Director Nedeljko Mitrović.

Association of Camp Inmates of the RS President Branislav Dukić has assessed that the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution “is making a farce” by arresting Divjak, stressing that Ganić was arrested on the same grounds but later released.

He told reporters that the Serbian War Crimes Prosecution had failed in the cases of Ilija Jurišić and Tihomir Purda, adding that the prosecution could end up being dissolved as a result.

Protests to be held in Sarajevo

Citizens of Sarajevo have scheduled a peaceful protest against Divjak's arrest in front of the Austrian Embassy for tomorrow.

Bosnian Ambassador in Vienna Haris Hrle said that the retired general would get all the necessary help from the embassy.

A peaceful protest was held last night in front of the Austrian Embassy in Sarajevo. According to media reports, a protest was also held in downtown Vienna where about 20 cars with Bosnia-Herzegovina's flags gathered.