"Hague extraditions unlikely before elections"

Rasim Ljajić says it is unrealistic to expect extraditions of suspected war criminals to the Hague before May 11.

Izvor: B92

Sunday, 23.03.2008.

15:06

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Rasim Ljajic says it is unrealistic to expect extraditions of suspected war criminals to the Hague before May 11. Ljajic, who is the Chairman of the Hague Tribunal Cooperation Council, and the council coordinator, War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic, told the new Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz this "openly" as they visited this week. "Hague extraditions unlikely before elections" Four more Serb war crimes suspects, including Bosnian war-time leaders Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic are wanted by the UN tribunal. The EU has set Belgrade's full cooperation with the court as the condition for the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), seen as the first step toward membership in the organization. "Under these circumstances, when the country is facing huge political problems due to Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, as well as early elections, it is not realistic to expect the Hague cooperation to be the first on the priority list," Ljajic told Novi Sad's Dnevnik newspaper. According to him, Serbia will continue to maintain the level of cooperation that includes access to archives and regular Hague action team activities, and will in the future continue to send documents needed for the ongoing trials. Brammertz, who met with Ljajic and Vukcevic in The Hague Thursday, said that Belgrade is not fully cooperating. Former Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte's new book, still un published but making waves on several fronts, was also discussed, Ljajic said. "Everyone at the Hague, in Brussels and Belgrade is unanimous in their estimate that the publishing of the book is politically incorrect," he was quoted by the daily. "All the more since everything written there gives the impression that Carla Del Ponte finds her personal promotion much more important than the search for justice and the Hague indictees," Ljajic continued, and said Belgrade will look to build a "completely different relationship" with the new prosecutor. Ljajic, who is also the labor minister, chairman of the South Serbia Coordinating Body and leader of the Sandzak Democratic Party (SDP), said the authorities in Serbia were "doing everything as if Mladic were in Serbia", but that there is no relevant intelligence or information that the former Bosnian Serb Army general really is in the country.

"Hague extraditions unlikely before elections"

Four more Serb war crimes suspects, including Bosnian war-time leaders Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić are wanted by the UN tribunal. The EU has set Belgrade's full cooperation with the court as the condition for the signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), seen as the first step toward membership in the organization.

"Under these circumstances, when the country is facing huge political problems due to Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence, as well as early elections, it is not realistic to expect the Hague cooperation to be the first on the priority list," Ljajić told Novi Sad's Dnevnik newspaper.

According to him, Serbia will continue to maintain the level of cooperation that includes access to archives and regular Hague action team activities, and will in the future continue to send documents needed for the ongoing trials.

Brammertz, who met with Ljajić and Vukčević in The Hague Thursday, said that Belgrade is not fully cooperating.

Former Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte's new book, still un published but making waves on several fronts, was also discussed, Ljajić said.

"Everyone at the Hague, in Brussels and Belgrade is unanimous in their estimate that the publishing of the book is politically incorrect," he was quoted by the daily.

"All the more since everything written there gives the impression that Carla Del Ponte finds her personal promotion much more important than the search for justice and the Hague indictees," Ljajić continued, and said Belgrade will look to build a "completely different relationship" with the new prosecutor.

Ljajić, who is also the labor minister, chairman of the South Serbia Coordinating Body and leader of the Sandžak Democratic Party (SDP), said the authorities in Serbia were "doing everything as if Mladić were in Serbia", but that there is no relevant intelligence or information that the former Bosnian Serb Army general really is in the country.

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