Del Ponte officially steps down

Serge Brammertz will take over from Carla Del Ponte as chief Hague prosecutor as her mandate ends Monday. Brammertz, who previously led the UN investigation into the Hariri assassination in Lebanon, on Tuesday takes up his post. Del Ponte officially steps down The 46-year-old Belgian has two important tasks before him at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY): stepping up the pressure to arrest the most wanted fugitives Karadzic and Mladic and closing down the court in 2010. Brammertz succeeds Del Ponte who held the post of ICTY prosecutor for eight years. Before then he was deputy prosecutor in charge of investigations of the International Criminal Court, the world's first permanent war crimes court also based in The Hague. There he led investigations into atrocities committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Darfur and Uganda. Born in Eupen in the German-speaking region of Belgium, Brammertz has degrees in law and criminology from Belgian universities and was a professor of law at the University of Liege. He started his career as a lawyer before quickly moving up in the ranks of the Belgian national prosecutor's office. In 2002 Brammertz became federal prosecutor in Belgium. He is considered an expert in fighting cross-border organized crime, and international legal cooperation in the fields of terrorism, arms trafficking and human rights violations. Brammertz is a demanding boss, but works very hard himself and always makes time for his colleagues, a former assistant who did not want to be named, told AFP. The Belgian prosecutor is expected to continue much as Del Ponte has but be more pragmatic. Brammertz shies away from media interest and considers himself more of a magistrate than a diplomat. He has yet to comment publicly on his appointment to the ICTY. Outgoing, incoming Hague prosecution chiefs, Del Ponte, Brammertz (Tanjug)

Del Ponte officially steps down

The 46-year-old Belgian has two important tasks before him at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY): stepping up the pressure to arrest the most wanted fugitives Karadžić and Mladić and closing down the court in 2010.

Brammertz succeeds Del Ponte who held the post of ICTY prosecutor for eight years.

Before then he was deputy prosecutor in charge of investigations of the International Criminal Court, the world's first permanent war crimes court also based in The Hague.

There he led investigations into atrocities committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Darfur and Uganda.

Born in Eupen in the German-speaking region of Belgium, Brammertz has degrees in law and criminology from Belgian universities and was a professor of law at the University of Liege.

He started his career as a lawyer before quickly moving up in the ranks of the Belgian national prosecutor's office.

In 2002 Brammertz became federal prosecutor in Belgium. He is considered an expert in fighting cross-border organized crime, and international legal cooperation in the fields of terrorism, arms trafficking and human rights violations.

Brammertz is a demanding boss, but works very hard himself and always makes time for his colleagues, a former assistant who did not want to be named, told AFP.

The Belgian prosecutor is expected to continue much as Del Ponte has but be more pragmatic.

Brammertz shies away from media interest and considers himself more of a magistrate than a diplomat. He has yet to comment publicly on his appointment to the ICTY.