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Thursday, 15 August 2024
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Voice of America, 01-08-02Voice of America: Selected Articles Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>SLUG: 2-278923 Bosnia/Arrests (L-O) DATE: NOTE NUMBER:CONTENTS
[01] BOSNIA/ARRESTS (L-O) BY STEFAN BOS (BUDAPEST)DATE=08/02/01TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-278923 INTERNET=YES CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The government of the Muslin-Croat federation within Bosnia-Herzegovina says it has arrested three Muslim military officers wanted by the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. Stefan Bos in Budapest says that at least two of them reportedly have already been handed over to The Hague Tribunal. TEXT: The Muslim-Croat federation authorities said late Thursday that
two retired army generals and an active brigadier voluntarily
surrendered to local police, after they had been served with the
Constitutional Court's extradition decision. Government officials said
the Court ordered their detention and subsequent extradition on the
basis of secret indictments and arrest warrants from The
Netherlands-based United Nations War Crimes Tribunal.
Prosecution spokeswoman Florence Hartmann confirmed to The Associated
Press that indictments have been handed to authorities in Sarajevo,
but she refused to release names or other details. In a statement, the
government named the generals as Mehmed Alagic and Enver
Hadzihasanovic and the brigadier as Amir Kubura.
Muslim-Croat federation police reportedly detained the former generals
early Thursday and soon escorted them to flights to The Hague. But
police officials were not available for comment or confirmation.
Observers say that generals Alagic and Hadzihasanovic would be the
highest-ranking Muslims so far to be transferred to the U.N. Tribunal
on suspicion of war-crimes.
General Alagic was reportedly arrested at his family home in Sanski
Most while General Hadzihasanovic was picked up in his home in
Sarajevo. Ministry of Defense officials said Brigadier Kubura, a
wartime commander of the so-called seventh Muslim brigade of the
Bosnian Army, was also detained in the Bosnian Capital.
General Alagic retired after the war and was elected head of the
Sanski Most municipality. He was later removed from the post and
earlier this year sentenced by a local court to four years in prison
on charges of abuse of power. General Hadzihasanovic held several army
posts during the war and became commander of the Third Corps. He was
then promoted to the post of chief of staff of the Muslim-Croat
federation army's joint command, before retiring last year.
The latest developments are seen as a sign that the Muslim-Croat
federation, one of two highly-autonomous entities in
ethnically-divided Bosnia Herzegovina, is willing to cooperate with
The Hague Tribunal.
In 1996, the federation arrested and extradited to The Hague two
Muslims who were later sentenced to 15 and 20 years in prison for war
crimes they committed against Serbs in a detention camp near Sarajevo,
during the war. The other entity, the Serb Republic, only last month
drafted a proposed law on cooperation with The Hague tribunal. But the
law has not received final approval and the Serb Republic has not yet
arrested any war crimes suspects, although most of about 40 wanted men
are believed to be hiding there.
NATO-led peacekeepers have arrested about 20 Bosnian Serb and Croat
war crimes suspects since 1996. However tribunal prosecutors have
pressured NATO to do more to arrest the key war crimes suspects,
former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic and his wartime
military advisor Ratko Mladic. Both wartime leaders have been
indicted, but remain at large. (SIGNED)
[02] BOSNIA/ARRESTS (L-O) BY STEFAN BOS (BUDAPEST)DATE=08/02/01TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-278923 INTERNET=YES CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The government of the Muslin-Croat federation within Bosnia-Herzegovina says it has arrested three Muslim military officers wanted by the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. Stefan Bos in Budapest says that at least two of them reportedly have already been handed over to The Hague Tribunal. TEXT: The Muslim-Croat federation authorities said late Thursday that
two retired army generals and an active brigadier voluntarily
surrendered to local police, after they had been served with the
Constitutional Court's extradition decision. Government officials said
the Court ordered their detention and subsequent extradition on the
basis of secret indictments and arrest warrants from The
Netherlands-based United Nations War Crimes Tribunal.
Prosecution spokeswoman Florence Hartmann confirmed to The Associated
Press that indictments have been handed to authorities in Sarajevo,
but she refused to release names or other details. In a statement, the
government named the generals as Mehmed Alagic and Enver
Hadzihasanovic and the brigadier as Amir Kubura.
Muslim-Croat federation police reportedly detained the former generals
early Thursday and soon escorted them to flights to The Hague. But
police officials were not available for comment or confirmation.
Observers say that generals Alagic and Hadzihasanovic would be the
highest-ranking Muslims so far to be transferred to the U.N. Tribunal
on suspicion of war-crimes.
General Alagic was reportedly arrested at his family home in Sanski
Most while General Hadzihasanovic was picked up in his home in
Sarajevo. Ministry of Defense officials said Brigadier Kubura, a
wartime commander of the so-called seventh Muslim brigade of the
Bosnian Army, was also detained in the Bosnian Capital.
General Alagic retired after the war and was elected head of the
Sanski Most municipality. He was later removed from the post and
earlier this year sentenced by a local court to four years in prison
on charges of abuse of power. General Hadzihasanovic held several army
posts during the war and became commander of the Third Corps. He was
then promoted to the post of chief of staff of the Muslim-Croat
federation army's joint command, before retiring last year.
The latest developments are seen as a sign that the Muslim-Croat
federation, one of two highly-autonomous entities in
ethnically-divided Bosnia Herzegovina, is willing to cooperate with
The Hague Tribunal.
In 1996, the federation arrested and extradited to The Hague two
Muslims who were later sentenced to 15 and 20 years in prison for war
crimes they committed against Serbs in a detention camp near Sarajevo,
during the war. The other entity, the Serb Republic, only last month
drafted a proposed law on cooperation with The Hague tribunal. But the
has not received final approval and the Serb Republic has not yet
arrested any war crimes suspects, although most of about 40 wanted men
are believed to be hiding there.
NATO-led peacekeepers have arrested about 20 Bosnian Serb and Croat
war crimes suspects since 1996. However tribunal prosecutors have
pressured NATO to do more to arrest the key war crimes suspects,
former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic and his wartime
military advisor Ratko Mladic. Both wartime leaders have been
indicted, but remain at large. (SIGNED)
[03] MACEDONIA (L ONLY) BY JEFF BIELEY (OHRID)DATE=08/02/01TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-278916 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Macedonia's prime minister said today (Thursday) that before the government signs an accord to end months of fighting, ethnic-Albanian rebels must give up territory they now hold. As Jeff Bieley reports, the prime minister's remarks, made on the country's national holiday, cast a shadow over peace talks set to resume Friday. TEXT: Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski said even if a peace deal is struck with ethnic-Albanian political leaders, signing it under duress would bring shame on the country. In a speech marking Macedonia's national day, Mr. Georgievski said he hoped negotiations to end an ethnic Albanian insurgency would be successful. But he went on to say that Macedonians would be humiliated if an accord were signed now, while what he called "terrorists" are occupying dozens of villages near the borders with Albania and Kosovo. /// OPT ///NEB/JB/KL/MAR SLUG: 2-278915 Bosnia / War Crimes / Alternate (L) DATE: NOTE NUMBER: [04] BOSNIA / WAR CRIMES / ALTERNATE (L ONLY) BY LAUREN COMITEAU (THE HAGUE)DATE=08/02/01TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-278915 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: Judges at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal in The Hague have handed down their first genocide conviction. Bosnian Serb general Radislav Krstic was found guilty of genocide for his role in massacres in Srebrenica in 1995 and sentenced to 46 years in prison. Lauren Comiteau has more from The Hague. TEXT: This is a historic moment for the tribunal and a clear victory for prosecutors. Not only did judges rule in their favor on all counts, but they have established -- for the first time -- that genocide was committed in Bosnia. Presiding Judge Almiro Rodrigues said that although Krstic didn't make the decision to execute between seven-thousand and eight-thousand Muslim men after the fall of Srebrenica, he nevertheless knowingly agreed to an evil plan. Judge Rodrigues spoke through an interpreter. /// RODRIGUES ACT ////// END ACT ////// HARMON ACT ////// END ACT ///NEB/JB/KL/KBK SLUG: 2-278906 Bosnia / War Crimes (L) DATE: NOTE NUMBER: [05] BOSNIA / WAR CRIMES (L) BY ROGER WILKISON (BRUSSELS)DATE=8/2/01TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-278906 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague has convicted a former Bosnian Serb general of genocide for his participation in the 1995 killing of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica. V-O-A Correspondent Roger Wilkison reports it is the first time that anyone has been convicted of genocide for crimes committed in Europe. TEXT: The court sentenced 53-year-old Radislav Krstic to 46 years in prison for genocide and the persecution of thousands of Bosnian Muslims after Bosnian Serb forces overran the United Nations safe haven of Srebrenica in July 1995. It is the harshest sentence handed down so far by the tribunal. General Krstic had pleaded not guilty to genocide and the other charges against him. He denied responsibility for the killing of seven thousand to eight thousand Muslim men and boys that followed the Bosnian Serb army's capture of Srebrenica. General Krstic argued that his superior officer, General Ratko Mladic, gave the orders for the execution. But the tribunal ruled that General Krstic knew that massacres were taking place. Judge Almiro Rodrigues, speaking through an interpreter, said though the responsibility of others may be greater, General Krstic was guilty of agreeing to a plan to execute Srebrenica's men and boys of fighting age. /// JUDGE AND INTERPRETER ACT ////// END ACT ///NEB/RW/KL/KBK SLUG: 2-278901 Bosnia / War Crimes (S) DATE: NOTE NUMBER: [06] BOSNIA / WAR CRIMES (S) BY ROGER WILKISON (BRUSSELS)DATE=8/2/01TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER= (cq) 2-278901 CONTENT= VOICED AT: /// EDS: RE-ISSUING, REPRHASING INTRO ///INTRO: The International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague has convicted a former Bosnian Serb general of genocide for his participation in the 1995 killing of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica. The court sentenced him to 46 years in prison. V-O-A Correspondent Roger Wilkison reports it is the first time that anyone has been convicted of genocide for crimes committed in Europe. TEXT: Fifty-three-year-old Radislav Krstic was found guilty of
genocide for agreeing to a plan to execute between seven-thousand and
eight-thousand Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, a United
Nations safe haven that was overrun by Bosnian Serb forces in July
1995.
General Krstic had pleaded not guilty to genocide and other charges,
such as persecution and forced deportation of Muslims. But Judge
Almiro Rodrigues ruled that, though somebody else probably ordered the
executions, General Krstic agreed that they should take place.
The judge also ruled that General Krstic had knowingly taken part in
the forced transfer of thousands of Bosnian Muslim women, children and
old people from Srebrenica.
In a lengthy summary of the facts, the judge said the Bosnian Serb
forces executed nearly all of the seven to eight-thousand men they
captured over a seven-day period.
Describing the events at Srebrenica as a killing spree, Judge
Rodrigues said not a single Serb was punished for the massacre,
considered Europe's worst atrocity since World War Two. (Signed)
[07] BOSNIA / WAR CRIMES (S) BY ROGER WILKISON (BRUSSELS)DATE=8/2/01TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-278901 CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: The International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague has convicted a former Bosnian Serb general of genocide for his participation in the 1995 killing of thousands of Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica. The court sentenced him to 46 years in prison. V-O-A Correspondent Roger Wilkison reports it is the first time that anyone has been convicted of genocide for crimes committed in Europe since the end of World War Two TEXT: Fifty-three-year-old Radislav Krstic was found guilty of
genocide for agreeing to a plan to execute between seven-thousand and
eight-thousand Bosnian Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, a United
Nations safe haven that was overrun by Bosnian Serb forces in July
1995.
General Krstic had pleaded not guilty to genocide and other charges,
such as persecution and forced deportation of Muslims. But Judge
Almiro Rodrigues ruled that, though somebody else probably ordered the
executions, General Krstic agreed that they should take place.
The judge also ruled that General Krstic had knowingly taken part in
the forced transfer of thousands of Bosnian Muslim women, children and
old people from Srebrenica.
In a lengthy summary of the facts, the judge said the Bosnian Serb
forces executed nearly all of the seven to eight-thousand men they
captured over a seven-day period.
Describing the events at Srebrenica as a killing spree, Judge
Rodrigues said not a single Serb was punished for the massacre,
considered Europe's worst atrocity since World War Two. (Signed)
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