Serbia arrests remaining Hague fugitive

The remaining Hague fugitive, Goran Hadzic, has been arrested, President Boris Tadic confirmed in an urgent news conference. Hadzic was arrested on Wednesday morning near the village of Krusedol, on Mt. Fruska Gora, north of Belgrade. Serbia arrests remaining Hague fugitive During the early 1990s, Hadzic was one of the political leaders of Serbs in Croatia. He is wanted by The Hague-based court on charges of war crimes. After the May 26 arrest of former military leader of Serbs in Bosnia Ratko Mladic, Hadzic was the last war crimes suspect whose extradition was demanded from Serbia. There was speculation this week that Hadzic was arrested, but the authorities, who said they were working intensively to arrest him, denied these reports at the time. Goran Hadzic at the Special Court on Wednesday (Tanjug) Who is Goran Hadzic Goran Hadzic was born in 1958 in Pacetin, near Vinkovici, in Croatia. He started his political engagement in the 1990s when he joined the Serb Democratic Party (SDS). In January 1991 he was elected president of the Serb National Council, while in August the same year he headed the government of the Serb District of Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem. He was elected president of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serb Krajina (RSK) in February 1992, replacing Milan Babic. He however left this position in December 1993 after losing in elections and withdrew from politics until 1995, when he became a member of the Council of the Srem-Baranja District. In 1996, he became the first president of that district, which was under the interim administration of the UN (UNTAES). Hadzic remained in this position until 1998. He subsequently moved to Serbia where he was given a job with the oil company NIS. In Croatia in 1997, the authorities put him on a list of 150 Serbs exempt from the country's amnesty law. Courts in the towns of Osijek and Sibenik tried him in absentia, found him guilty and sentenced him to 10.5 and 20 years of jail on charges of terrorism. The Hague Tribunal indicted him for war crimes committed against Croats and other non-Serbs in eastern Slavonia between 1991 and 1993. The sealed indictment against him was delivered in 2004, but Hadzic left his home in Novi Sad several hours before, and has been a fugitive ever since. In October 2007, Serbia offered a million euros in reward money for any information that would lead to locating and arresting of Goran Hadzic. A file photo of Goran Hadzic (Beta)

Serbia arrests remaining Hague fugitive

During the early 1990s, Hadžić was one of the political leaders of Serbs in Croatia.

He is wanted by The Hague-based court on charges of war crimes.

After the May 26 arrest of former military leader of Serbs in Bosnia Ratko Mladić, Hadžić was the last war crimes suspect whose extradition was demanded from Serbia.

There was speculation this week that Hadžić was arrested, but the authorities, who said they were working intensively to arrest him, denied these reports at the time.

Who is Goran Hadžić

Goran Hadžić was born in 1958 in Pačetin, near Vinkovici, in Croatia.

He started his political engagement in the 1990s when he joined the Serb Democratic Party (SDS).

In January 1991 he was elected president of the Serb National Council, while in August the same year he headed the government of the Serb District of Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem.

He was elected president of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serb Krajina (RSK) in February 1992, replacing Milan Babić. He however left this position in December 1993 after losing in elections and withdrew from politics until 1995, when he became a member of the Council of the Srem-Baranja District.

In 1996, he became the first president of that district, which was under the interim administration of the UN (UNTAES).

Hadžić remained in this position until 1998.

He subsequently moved to Serbia where he was given a job with the oil company NIS.

In Croatia in 1997, the authorities put him on a list of 150 Serbs exempt from the country's amnesty law. Courts in the towns of Osijek and Šibenik tried him in absentia, found him guilty and sentenced him to 10.5 and 20 years of jail on charges of terrorism.

The Hague Tribunal indicted him for war crimes committed against Croats and other non-Serbs in eastern Slavonia between 1991 and 1993.

The sealed indictment against him was delivered in 2004, but Hadžić left his home in Novi Sad several hours before, and has been a fugitive ever since.

In October 2007, Serbia offered a million euros in reward money for any information that would lead to locating and arresting of Goran Hadžić.