Former ally Krajisnik calls Karadzic to testify

17/08/2008

BELGRADE, Serbia -- Momcilo Krajisnik, formerly a Bosnian Serb politician and Radovan Karadzic's right-hand man, has asked to have Karadzic testify at his appeal hearing next week, the daily Vecernje novosti reported on Friday (August 15th). The UN war crimes tribunal sentenced him in 2006 to 27 years' imprisonment for war crimes committed during the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia. Karadzic can state that Krajisnik "wanted to avoid war at all costs", the submission claimed. He said Karadzic is the most significant figure in his case and his testimony could affect the verdict.

In other news, Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said on Friday (August 15th) that Serbia would soon arrest and extradite the two remaining Hague fugitives, Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic, to The Hague. "The government's priority is to complete co-operation with the UN tribunal," Jeremic said in New York. (Vecernje novosti, AP - 15/08/08, B92, FoNet, Tanjug, RTS, AP - 16/08/08)