Chief Hague prosecutor: Time for justice

Ratko Mladic was avoiding justice for 16 years and he should now be held responsible for the crimes he is accused of, Serge Brammertz said. The Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor told a press conference in The Hague that the Hague Tribunal indictee would for the first time face the judge at 10:00 CET Friday. Chief Hague prosecutor: Time for justice The prosecutor thanked the Dutch authorities on successful transfer of Mladic to Scheveningen. According to him, Mladic’s arrest and transfer were very important. Serbia has fulfilled one of the most important international obligations by arresting Mladic. Brammertz said that the former Bosnian Serb commander was the highest ranking military officer during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He is accused of participating in a violent campaign which destroyed the entire nations. “Mladic's arrest and extradition are very important for justice because they confirm that nobody can count on not being punished, as well as for the victims because 16 years is a long time to wait for justice,“ the Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor pointed out. “I hear that some people are saying that an important chapter of the international justice was closed with Mladic's arrest, but I think that work on determining Mladic's criminal responsibility is only beginning,“ he concluded. “We were very critical toward Serbia in the last few months due to failure to arrest Ratko Mladic and we asked for progress. Today we note with pleasure that he was arrested. We thank President Boris Tadic and the Action team, security services that contributed to the arrest. We have asked the authorities in Serbia to continue that way because we want to see (Goran) Hadzic arrested as well,“ the Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor stressed. He said Wednesday that an amended indictment was raised against Mladic but that he did not know whether it was realistic to put Radovan Karadzic and Mladic on trial together. According to him, Mladic will have a fair trial and all his rights will be respected. “It is hard to express the importance of Mladic’s transfer to The Hague but the process has only started, we must not forget that the victims, thousands of victims, are still waiting for justice. The measure of success is a measure of success for both the international court and the domestic judiciary,” Brammertz said. Mladic was transferred to the Hague Tribunal detention unit in Scheveningen on Tuesday night. He was arrested on May 26 in the village of Lazarevo near Zrenjanin. He is accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Serge Brammertz at the press conference in The Hague (FoNet) “Serbia will be praised in report“ When asked whether he will change his negative report on Serbia's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal which he sent to the UN Security Council, Brammertz said that the report could not be changed but that he would send a personal report to the UN Security Council on Monday and added that he was sure that the UN would undoubtedly commend Serbia for arresting Mladic. He said, however, that recommendations to Serbia regarding improvement of search for the fugitives were still in effect. The Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor has called on the Belgrade authorities to continue “implementing improvements” in the operational plan that led to Mladic’s arrest “in order to arrest Goran Hadzic without delay“. Length of trial unknown When asked how long the trial would last, Brammertz pointed out that the prosecution was trying to find a balance between the extent of the crimes and necessity to make the trial manageable. According to him, it is very hard to say how long the trial will last, not only because of the extent of the case, but also because Mladic will have to be given enough time to prepare for the trial. Brammertz stressed that “the prosecution has learned the lessons from the past” regarding the length of the proceedings. He assessed that Mladic’s arrest was important because he was “the most powerful military officer during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina” who was responsible for “the crimes that shocked the international community’s conscience”. “With Mladic’s arrest the Hague Tribunal came closer to a successful end of its mandate, because it has tried 160 out of 161 indictees,” Brammertz explained, underscoring that Mladic’s trial would be “much more than statistics“.

Chief Hague prosecutor: Time for justice

The prosecutor thanked the Dutch authorities on successful transfer of Mladić to Scheveningen. According to him, Mladić’s arrest and transfer were very important.

Serbia has fulfilled one of the most important international obligations by arresting Mladić.

Brammertz said that the former Bosnian Serb commander was the highest ranking military officer during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He is accused of participating in a violent campaign which destroyed the entire nations.

“Mladić's arrest and extradition are very important for justice because they confirm that nobody can count on not being punished, as well as for the victims because 16 years is a long time to wait for justice,“ the Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor pointed out.

“I hear that some people are saying that an important chapter of the international justice was closed with Mladić's arrest, but I think that work on determining Mladić's criminal responsibility is only beginning,“ he concluded.

“We were very critical toward Serbia in the last few months due to failure to arrest Ratko Mladić and we asked for progress. Today we note with pleasure that he was arrested. We thank President Boris Tadić and the Action team, security services that contributed to the arrest. We have asked the authorities in Serbia to continue that way because we want to see (Goran) Hadžić arrested as well,“ the Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor stressed.

He said Wednesday that an amended indictment was raised against Mladić but that he did not know whether it was realistic to put Radovan Karadžić and Mladić on trial together.

According to him, Mladić will have a fair trial and all his rights will be respected.

“It is hard to express the importance of Mladić’s transfer to The Hague but the process has only started, we must not forget that the victims, thousands of victims, are still waiting for justice. The measure of success is a measure of success for both the international court and the domestic judiciary,” Brammertz said.

Mladić was transferred to the Hague Tribunal detention unit in Scheveningen on Tuesday night.

He was arrested on May 26 in the village of Lazarevo near Zrenjanin. He is accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“Serbia will be praised in report“

When asked whether he will change his negative report on Serbia's cooperation with the Hague Tribunal which he sent to the UN Security Council, Brammertz said that the report could not be changed but that he would send a personal report to the UN Security Council on Monday and added that he was sure that the UN would undoubtedly commend Serbia for arresting Mladić.

He said, however, that recommendations to Serbia regarding improvement of search for the fugitives were still in effect.

The Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor has called on the Belgrade authorities to continue “implementing improvements” in the operational plan that led to Mladić’s arrest “in order to arrest Goran Hadžić without delay“.

Length of trial unknown

When asked how long the trial would last, Brammertz pointed out that the prosecution was trying to find a balance between the extent of the crimes and necessity to make the trial manageable.

According to him, it is very hard to say how long the trial will last, not only because of the extent of the case, but also because Mladić will have to be given enough time to prepare for the trial.

Brammertz stressed that “the prosecution has learned the lessons from the past” regarding the length of the proceedings.

He assessed that Mladić’s arrest was important because he was “the most powerful military officer during the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina” who was responsible for “the crimes that shocked the international community’s conscience”.

“With Mladić’s arrest the Hague Tribunal came closer to a successful end of its mandate, because it has tried 160 out of 161 indictees,” Brammertz explained, underscoring that Mladić’s trial would be “much more than statistics“.