Serbian prosecutor: Mladić is in Serbia

War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic believes Hague fugitive Ratko Mladic is in Serbia. Vukcevic, who is also a coordinator of the Action Team for Locating and Arresting Hague Fugitives, feels that Radovan Karadzic is in the region as well, and that pinpointing their location more closely will follow. Serbian prosecutor: Mladic is in Serbia “As soon as we’ve located them on a wider territory, then more precise pinpointing will follow, then arrest and extradition,“ he told Beta. The prosecutor stressed that Serbia had thus far extradited 42 war crimes suspects to the Hague, and that the work of the Action Team had led to the capture of a general, who was not exactly “insignificant.“ “We shouldn’t neglect the fact that four are still on the run, but, in the last year, the whole military and political leadership has been handed over,“ he stressed, adding that he expected the other four to be apprehended in the not too distant future. Vukcevic said that 112 people had been tried for war crimes in Serbia in 2007, with 57 convicted. “It’s noticeable that the public in Serbia is facing up to the fact that atrocities were committed, and that these people were not heroes, but ordinary criminals,“ said the prosecutor. Following criticism and pressure on the prosecution’s work, he said that “a change in state institutions is evident“, as was support for the prosecution in trying war crimes. “The most important deeds are war crimes, and they never expire,“ said Vukcevic, indicating the greatest achievement this year had been in setting up a tribunal for Cambodia which saw the worst atrocities since the Second World War, with around 2.5 million people losing their lives. In the prosecutor’s opinion, initialing the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU was the most important event in Serbia in 2007. “I’m happy that my colleagues from the Action Team have contributed to our work in finding Hague fugitives, in spite of not being complete, receiving a positive rating,“ he said. This year in Monaco, Vukcevic was awarded the Prix de la Fondation, awarded to the world’s most important personalities. To the prosecutor’s mind, the most important figure of 2007 was anti-Mafia state prosecutor Pietro Grasso, and in Serbia Nata Mesarovic, who presided over the murder trial of the late prime minister, Zoran Djindjic. “I don’t hold with the view that justice is slow but attainable, I hold with the view that justice is attainable,“ said the prosecutor, saying that they were examples and proof that no-one who breaks the law can rest easy. Vladimir Vukcevic (Fonet, archive)

Serbian prosecutor: Mladić is in Serbia

“As soon as we’ve located them on a wider territory, then more precise pinpointing will follow, then arrest and extradition,“ he told Beta.

The prosecutor stressed that Serbia had thus far extradited 42 war crimes suspects to the Hague, and that the work of the Action Team had led to the capture of a general, who was not exactly “insignificant.“

“We shouldn’t neglect the fact that four are still on the run, but, in the last year, the whole military and political leadership has been handed over,“ he stressed, adding that he expected the other four to be apprehended in the not too distant future.

Vukčević said that 112 people had been tried for war crimes in Serbia in 2007, with 57 convicted.

“It’s noticeable that the public in Serbia is facing up to the fact that atrocities were committed, and that these people were not heroes, but ordinary criminals,“ said the prosecutor.

Following criticism and pressure on the prosecution’s work, he said that “a change in state institutions is evident“, as was support for the prosecution in trying war crimes.

“The most important deeds are war crimes, and they never expire,“ said Vukčević, indicating the greatest achievement this year had been in setting up a tribunal for Cambodia which saw the worst atrocities since the Second World War, with around 2.5 million people losing their lives.

In the prosecutor’s opinion, initialing the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU was the most important event in Serbia in 2007.

“I’m happy that my colleagues from the Action Team have contributed to our work in finding Hague fugitives, in spite of not being complete, receiving a positive rating,“ he said.

This year in Monaco, Vukčević was awarded the Prix de la Fondation, awarded to the world’s most important personalities.

To the prosecutor’s mind, the most important figure of 2007 was anti-Mafia state prosecutor Pietro Grasso, and in Serbia Nata Mesarović, who presided over the murder trial of the late prime minister, Zoran Đinđić.

“I don’t hold with the view that justice is slow but attainable, I hold with the view that justice is attainable,“ said the prosecutor, saying that they were examples and proof that no-one who breaks the law can rest easy.