Serbia's Tadic reacts to Karadzic's arrest

24/07/2008

BELGRADE, Serbia -- President Boris Tadic said on Thursday (July 24th) that the arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic complied with Serbia's laws and international human rights regulations. "The location and the arrest ... is the result of the new government's commitment to bring to justice each individual who committed crimes on the territory of the former Yugoslavia," according to a statement from his office, the first since Karadzic's arrest Monday. Tadic added that The Hague war crimes tribunal should prosecute indictees without prejudice and regardless of "their name, family names, nationality and religious affiliations".

Meanwhile, ultranationalist protests against Karadzic's arrest continued in Belgrade on Wednesday. Hundreds gathered in the centre of the capital, chanting his name and slogans against the new pro-European government. A strong police presence monitored the gathering. Demonstrators threw stones at the police, who did not respond. Serbian Radical Party member is calling for calm protests on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph reports that information provided by former Bosnian Serb army commander and fellow war crimes fugitive Ratko Mladic led to Karadzic's arrest. The British newspaper says Mladic turned on Karadzic a couple of months ago to save himself. Sources expect his arrest within the next two weeks and say that he will seek a trial in Serbia, rather than at The Hague. (Tanjug, RIA Novosti, B92 - 24/07/08; Blic, Tanjug, Beta, Daily Telegraph, AP, MIA, AFP, RTRS, SRNA, RIA Novosti - 23/07/08)