Former RS leader free, arrives in Belgrade

Former Republic of Srpska (RS) President Biljana Plasic has been set free after spending 8 years in a prison in Sweden, and has arrived in Belgrade. Plavisic, who is in her late 70s, had a RS government car pick her up at the runway, and thus avoided going through the main or VIP gate of the Belgrade airport. Former RS leader free, arrives in Belgrade She is now at her Belgrade apartment, where she arrived accompanied by RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik. B92 has learned that her security detail will in the future consist of several Serbian police (MUP) officers. See more photos The former Bosnian Serb politician also holds Serbian citizenship and has decided to take up residence here, it has emerged. Plavsic is the first person convicted for serious war crimes before the Hague Tribunal to have served their sentence. She voluntarily turned herself in to the court on January 10, 2001 after being charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against Muslims and Croats in Bosnia committed during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia. In October the following year she pleaded guilty to persecution of Muslims and Croats in 37 municipalities in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in exchange the other counts of the indictment were dropped. During the time spent in jail she published the book "Testimonies" in which she shifted the blame for the Bosnian war to Radovan Karadzic, but refused to testify against him. Plavsic was one of the key witnesses in the trial of former Republic of Srpska National Parliament Speaker Momcilo Krajisnik who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in March. Representatives of the political parties in the Serbian parliament reacted differently to her release. “Biljana Plavsic has done immeasurable damage to Republic of Srpska and the Serb people, especially to those who were accused before the Hague Tribunal and who were sentenced to many years in prison because of her testimony," said opposition Serb Radical Party deputy president Dragan Todorovic. “I used to be Biljana’s good friend and I will visit her when she arrives. I’ll be glad to see her,” said Velimir Ilic, the leader of opposition New Serbia. “There’s nothing to talk about. I’m against commenting on court decisions and verdicts, the court has decided to convict her and release her,” said Jelena Trivan of the ruling Democrats. The Hague Tribunal granted Plavsic early release on September 15 and she received a visit from RS PM Milorad Dodik. Plavisic and Dodik in Belgrade today (FoNet)

Former RS leader free, arrives in Belgrade

She is now at her Belgrade apartment, where she arrived accompanied by RS Prime Minister Milorad Dodik. B92 has learned that her security detail will in the future consist of several Serbian police (MUP) officers.

See more photos

The former Bosnian Serb politician also holds Serbian citizenship and has decided to take up residence here, it has emerged.

Plavšić is the first person convicted for serious war crimes before the Hague Tribunal to have served their sentence.

She voluntarily turned herself in to the court on January 10, 2001 after being charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes against Muslims and Croats in Bosnia committed during the 1992-95 war in Bosnia.

In October the following year she pleaded guilty to persecution of Muslims and Croats in 37 municipalities in Bosnia-Herzegovina and in exchange the other counts of the indictment were dropped.

During the time spent in jail she published the book "Testimonies" in which she shifted the blame for the Bosnian war to Radovan Karadžić, but refused to testify against him.

Plavšić was one of the key witnesses in the trial of former Republic of Srpska National Parliament Speaker Momčilo Krajišnik who was sentenced to 20 years in prison in March.

Representatives of the political parties in the Serbian parliament reacted differently to her release.

“Biljana Plavšić has done immeasurable damage to Republic of Srpska and the Serb people, especially to those who were accused before the Hague Tribunal and who were sentenced to many years in prison because of her testimony," said opposition Serb Radical Party deputy president Dragan Todorović.

“I used to be Biljana’s good friend and I will visit her when she arrives. I’ll be glad to see her,” said Velimir Ilić, the leader of opposition New Serbia.

“There’s nothing to talk about. I’m against commenting on court decisions and verdicts, the court has decided to convict her and release her,” said Jelena Trivan of the ruling Democrats.

The Hague Tribunal granted Plavšić early release on September 15 and she received a visit from RS PM Milorad Dodik.