Brammertz: Major achievement

Chief Hague Prosecutor Serge Brammertz held a news conference today hours after the Karadzic extradition. Speaking in The Hague, Brammertz said that the arrest and extradition of Radovan Karadzic was "a major achievement for Serbia's cooperation with the court". Brammertz: Major achievement He confirmed that the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs will appear before a judge tomorrow at 16:00 CET, where he will have an opportunity to enter his plea on the charges against him, or delay this for 30 days. Karadzic's lawyers have in the meantime told B92 that their client will not enter his plea tomorrow. The arrest, Brammertz told reporters, " is immensely important for the victims, who have waited too long for this day, and for international justice, because it clearly indicates that there can be no safe haven for war crime fugitives". "He stands accused of the most serious crimes under international law, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing," the prosecutor said, and added that his team will look to update the indictment, last revised in 2000, and run an efficient process. "Genocide is in the indictment, and it will be up to the judges to decide whether the prosecution's proof will be sufficient. We have collected a large number of evidence over the last years that will be presented to the court. We will seek his conviction," said Brammertz. But he warned that both prosecution and defense teams would need some months to prepare for the trial, that he believes will not be short, "given its complexity". Serbia's authorities deserve compliments for the Karadzic arrest, Brammertz continued, singling this out as the greatest achievement of Belgrade's cooperation with the tribunal. At the same time, he refused to speculate on the position the EU might take regarding Serbia's integration ambition in the wake of the arrest and extradition, adding that "the prosecution should not discuss political issues". Brammertz's next report to the UN Security Council is due in December, while he will travel to Belgrade in September, to meet the members of the new government and domestic prosecution. "We will discuss cooperation and arrest of two fugitives, Mladic and Hadzic, something we cannot finish our mandate without," he said. Brammertz also indicated that in case Ratko Mladic is arrested, his office will look into integrating the indictment against the former Bosnian Serb general with that against Karadzic. Serge Brammertz (Beta)

Brammertz: Major achievement

He confirmed that the former leader of the Bosnian Serbs will appear before a judge tomorrow at 16:00 CET, where he will have an opportunity to enter his plea on the charges against him, or delay this for 30 days.

Karadžić's lawyers have in the meantime told B92 that their client will not enter his plea tomorrow.

The arrest, Brammertz told reporters, " is immensely important for the victims, who have waited too long for this day, and for international justice, because it clearly indicates that there can be no safe haven for war crime fugitives".

"He stands accused of the most serious crimes under international law, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing," the prosecutor said, and added that his team will look to update the indictment, last revised in 2000, and run an efficient process.

"Genocide is in the indictment, and it will be up to the judges to decide whether the prosecution's proof will be sufficient. We have collected a large number of evidence over the last years that will be presented to the court. We will seek his conviction," said Brammertz.

But he warned that both prosecution and defense teams would need some months to prepare for the trial, that he believes will not be short, "given its complexity".

Serbia's authorities deserve compliments for the Karadžić arrest, Brammertz continued, singling this out as the greatest achievement of Belgrade's cooperation with the tribunal.

At the same time, he refused to speculate on the position the EU might take regarding Serbia's integration ambition in the wake of the arrest and extradition, adding that "the prosecution should not discuss political issues".

Brammertz's next report to the UN Security Council is due in December, while he will travel to Belgrade in September, to meet the members of the new government and domestic prosecution.

"We will discuss cooperation and arrest of two fugitives, Mladić and Hadžić, something we cannot finish our mandate without," he said.

Brammertz also indicated that in case Ratko Mladić is arrested, his office will look into integrating the indictment against the former Bosnian Serb general with that against Karadžić.