Lazarevic to Surrender to Hague Tribunal, Lukic May Follow

28/01/2005

The Serbian government has announced that Vladimir Lazarevic, one of four Serbian army and police generals wanted by the UN war crimes tribunal, will be transferred to The Hague next week. The announcement comes on the second day of a crucial visit to Belgrade by an EU delegation.

By Jelena Tusup for Southeast European Times in Belgrade - 28/01/05

Former Deputy Serbian Interior Minister General Sreten Lukic is expected to surrender to The Hague next month. [State.gov]

One of four Serbian Army and police generals wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has agreed to go to The Hague next week to face war crimes charges, the government in Belgrade announced Friday (28 January).

Serbian Army General Vladimir Lazarevic, indicted 15 months ago for crimes allegedly committed by his troops against Kosovo Albanian civilians in 1999, and one of four Serbian Army and police generals wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), has agreed to go to The Hague next week to face war crimes charges, the government in Belgrade announced Friday (28 January).

The surrender announcement came on the second day of an EU team's visit to Serbia-Montenegro. It will be the last such visit before the Union publishes the results of a feasibility study on the country's readiness to begin the accession process. Brussels has made it clear that full and unconditional co-operation with The Hague -- including the handover of indictees -- is a prerequisite for further progress.

"These indictees are not national heroes. They are war criminals. The extradition of those accused of war crimes is an obligation regulated by international laws, and in accordance with the interests of Serbia in Europe," EU security and foreign policy chief Javier Solana said.

The other three generals indicted along with Lazarevic are former Serbian Deputy Interior Minister Sreten Lukic, police general Vlastimir Djordjevic and army General Nebojsa Pavkovic. All face charges of crimes against humanity and violations of customs and laws of war in Kosovo, including the "deportation of thousands Kosovo Albanians, murdering numerous men, women and children, including mass killing, sexual assaults and persecutions on political, racial and religious grounds".

Kostunica's government says Lukic has also agreed to surrender but did not give a date. Generally considered the most co-operative of the four, Lukic was the only one who showed up to receive his indictment in Belgrade's war crimes court; however, he is recovering from heart surgery and said to be in poor health. According to Jovan Simic, an adviser to Serbian President Boris Tadic, it will likely be another month before Lukic goes to The Hague.

Of the other two, Pavkovic has refused to go to The Hague voluntarily, while Djordjevic is widely believed to be in Russia.

Belgrade has come under intense pressure recently to hand over the remaining fugitive war crimes indictees. Earlier this month, the United States announced it was withholding $10m in assistance to Serbia-Montenegro due to the lack of co-operation with the ICTY, and the government has acknowledged that action must be taken this week to salvage any chance of a positive EU feasibility study.

Justice Minister Zoran Stojkovic has said details about the eventual surrender of all military officials wanted by the UN tribunal will be released in the next few days. "The government is working and we can expect positive results very soon," Stojkovic said.