News 11 Apr 13

Serbia Slams Hague Tribunal at UN Debate

Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic described the Hague war crimes court as a biased "inquisition" during a UN General Assembly debate that was boycotted by the US as inflammatory.

Marija Ristic

BIRN

Belgrade

At the UN debate on Wednesday about the role of international war crimes courts, organised by the current Serbian president of the assembly, Vuk Jeremic, the Belgrade leadership took the opportunity to attack the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, ICTY, which it believes is biased against Serbs.

Nikolic said that the ICTY was unfair because of its "systematic atmosphere of lynch-mobbing of everything that is Serbian", which made reconciliation in the Balkans even harder.

"ICTY trials will never reach the real truth, that is why the reconciliation will not be real and honest," he said.

Belgrade was angered by last year's war crimes acquittal of two Croatian generals, Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac.

Nikolic also cited war crimes trial defendant Vojislav Seselj, the former leader of the Serbian Radical Party, of which Nikolic was once a member, as an example of unfair treatment.

"Vojislav Seselj has been in The Hague for 11 years, which is a precedent in legal history," Nikolic said.

But Ranko Vilovic, Croatia's representative at the UN, said the ICTY deserved support.

"Croatia, as a victim of aggression, has strongly supported the work of the ICTY... Maybe we didn't always agree with some decisions made, but we always supported the work," said Vilovic.

The US boycotted the debate, alongside Canada and Jordan, describing it as "unbalanced" and "inflammatory".

Erin Pelton, spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations, said international courts had been "critical to ending impunity and helping these countries chart a new, more positive future".

"We regret in particular that the way today's thematic debate and the related panel discussion are structured fail to provide the victims of these atrocities an appropriate voice," she said.

The debate started with opening remarks from Jeremic, who said that "it is finally time to tell the truth about international tribunals".

"I deeply believe that there should not be taboo topics among UN states," Jeremic said.

But UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon, who spoke right after Jeremic, defended the idea of international war crimes courts.

"We cannot expect human rights to be respected if we don't support the international justice system," he said.

The Serb member of the tripartite Bosnian presidency however expressed concerns about the ICTY's recent acquittals of the two Croatian generals, three Kosovo Liberation Army commanders and a former Yugoslav Army general.

"Dissatisfaction with [the court's] verdicts exists within all three nations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and this has been increased following the recent three ICTY verdicts in particular," said Nebojsa Radmanovic.

The debate was briefly interrupted when a representative of an organisation representing wartime victims from the Bosnian towns of Srebrenica and Zepa, Munira Subasic, was ejected for attempting to show a banner describing Bosnia's Serb-run entity Republika Srpska as genocidal, according to media reports.

The controversial debate provoked the Croat member of the Bosnian presidency, Zeljko Komsic, to cancel a planned visit to Belgrade, saying that the Serbian president had offended wartime victims.

Nikolic was also criticised in Belgrade by the Serbian Liberal Democratic Party, which argued that his speech was "insincere and harmful toward Serbian national interests".

Belgrade's Centre for Euro-Atlantic Studies, CEAS, called on other top Serbian officials to make a stand for reconciliation in the Balkans.

"The CEAS believes that the western Balkans would be a much more unstable and undemocratic place to live if those convicted at the Hague Tribunal and by domestic courts were still at large and even in the ranks of the security services in the countries of the region," the think-tank said in a statement.

Despite the criticism however, Jeremic was convinced that the debate was a success.

"This is the biggest debate in history of the UN. Eighty-two countries had their representatives present, we had 42 speakers... We had very interesting opinions, many of them critical," Jeremic said.

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/un-debate-turns-as-criticism-of-the-icty

Emil Vlajki: Dodik's testimony "exceptionally courageous"

 

http://www.oslobodjenje.ba/daily-news/vlajki-dodiks-testimony-exceptionally-courageous DAILY NEWS 10.04.2013. | PIŠE: Oslobođenje PORTAL Vlajki: Dodik's testimony "exceptionally courageous" RS President Milorad Dodik demonstrated "exceptional courage and honesty" as a witness for the defense of Radovan Karadzic, RS Vice President Emil Vlajki says.     In a statement from Vlajki's office, it is said that Dodik "exposed the militarization and politicization of religion, the demonization of the Serb people, and the politicking of the Hague Tribunal." "In this way he opposed the new world order, its crimes, servants, and lies. Because of his foreign policy, Milorad Dodik before the international public pushed back to some extent against the lies that damage the dignity of the Serb people and in a real way once again affirmed RS on international terms. So he will certainly go down in the history of the Serb people as a positive personality, and with his exceptional performances before the Hague Tribunal he has won the affection of millions of Serbs and all truth-loving people, both at home and in the diaspora," Vlajki said. http://www.oslobodjenje.ba/daily-news/dodiks-testimony-in-the-hague-the-reason-why-civil-coalition-march-first-was-created DAILY NEWS 10.04.2013. | PIŠE: Oslobođenje PORTAL Dodik's testimony in The Hague the reason why civil coalition "March First" was created Yesterday's "performance" of RS President Milorad Dodik, as a defense witness in the trial of the second president of the entity Radovan Karadzic, was not a witness but a threat to all non-Serb returnees who have returned to their pre-war homes.   Now it is clear that institutional discrimination and massive violations of human rights of returnees to the entity are actually the result of the policies implemented by the order of Milorad Dodik himself, and that his regime is just a continuation of what Karadzic started. His testimony yesterday was the reason why the civil coalition "March First" was created and will continue to exist, and why now, more than ever, the unity of those who don't deny the crimes and want to preserve the state is needed.   "March First" calls on the leadership of all political parties who know Milorad Dodik lied yesterday to show they wouldn't allow part of Bosnia and Herzegovina to become one of the "two Serbian states in the Balkans."   "March First" once again calls on the leadership of all political parties considered state-building to enter the joint list and to ensure not only institutional representation, but also a chance for physical survival for returnees in RS.   A joint list does not imply any abandonment of political principles and ideological divisions, but is simply an acknowledgment that the parties gathered have one common item that others do not have: the fight for the preservation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.   Today, when it is obvious there will be at least three powerful blocs in RS at the next elections, mathematically and logically it is impossible to expect that some of the parties we have invited to a joint list would be elected to a place in the BiH Parliament from constituencies in RS.   Let's show that our forces have the responsibility for when the time comes, where protection of returnees remains a key commitment, political survival in RS as a condition for canceling the results of genocide, and ultimately the only measurable and unambiguous confirmation that in the entity there is still the state of BiH and those who believe in it. On 13 April we will know who is on our side, the side of survival.   http://www.oslobodjenje.ba/daily-news/izetbegovic-im-not-surprised-by-dodiks-testimony-in-the-hague DAILY NEWS 10.04.2013. | PIŠE: Oslobođenje PORTAL Izetbegovic: I'm not surprised by Dodik's testimony in The Hague Member of the BiH Presidency Bakir Izetbegovic said that he was not surprised by Milorad Dodik's testimony yesterday in The Hague, who, as a defense witness of ICTY indictee for war crimes Radovan Karadzic, defended the behavior and activities of RS leadership during the war developments in BiH, and for the war blamed the first President of BiH Presidency Alija Izetbegovic and his Party of Democratic Action. "Nothing new from Mr. Dodik and those which he inherited. So, in the way of political struggle, it is the reliance on cheap and transparent lies. No Islamic Declaration was mentioned at the time of beginning of the aggression on BiH nor is it the basis for what was happening there," Izetbegovic said. Testifying before the ICTY, Dodik said that the RS army and police during the war were "legitimate structures which performed their legitimate role during war in BiH." He rated charges against Karadzic as "fictions and manipulations."   Izetbegovic today in Sarajevo reminded that the "work plan was made in Belgrade," and that "on the basis of that plan in BiH they proclaimed Serbian autonomous regions which cover almost 90 percent of the territory of BiH" and that "Mr. Karadzic formed an Assembly of the Serbian People with Momcilo Krajisnik."   "Karadzic got the dock in The Hague, and Milorad Dodik has inherited his presidential seat in RS," the member of the BiH Presidency said.   Asked whether it is possible Dodik does not remember what he was talking about regarding the SDS ten years ago, Izetbegovic said: "How seriously did he respond to accusations in relation to SDS and Karadzic ten years ago. It's Milorad Dodik, you do not know who you're dealing with."  Izetbegovic signs book of condolences   Presidency member Bakir Izetbegovic signed today in the book of condolences on the death of Baroness Margaret Thatcher, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.   "I do not see that she was controversial, she was a principled, courageous, determined woman which we will remember by just on those lines. The world will remember her as one of the global leaders who helped to free the world of dictatorial regimes, who helped to stabilize the situation in her country. Just in a time of weakness, cowardice, lack of principles, lack of understanding in relation in BiH she proved to have principles, courage, and friendship, and Bosnians have every reason to remember her as a friend, as a brave and determined woman," Izetbegovic says.