Coverage of Radovan Karadzic Arrest

Perhaps the most dramatic development at the Hague tribunal in the last six months was the capture of Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic who was arrested in Serbia after 12 years on the run.

The IWPR tribunal project was quick to respond to the former political leader’s arrest, providing a comprehensive selection of reports, features and comment pieces.

“We republished [IWPR’s] article because the angle you provided was interesting and you kept it real, while everyone else seems to be engaged in the sensationalist side of the whole Karadzic story”
Eldin Karic, editor-in-chief of Bosnian weekly Start

Karadzic, who faces 11 counts, was detained on July 21, bringing the number of Hague tribunal fugitives down to two – Bosnian Serb wartime general Ratko Mladic, who is thought to be hiding in Serbia, and ex-Croatian Serb leader Goran Hadzic.

While much international reporting focused on the emerging details of Karadzic’s bizarre life in hiding as a new-age health practitioner, IWPR considered the repercussions of his arrest.

In Serbia: Pressure Needed to Secure Mladic Arrest, Hague reporter Simon Jennings and IWPR-trained journalist Aleksandar Roknic considered the need to keep pressure on Belgrade if Mladic is also to be brought to justice.

The article was republished by Bosnian weekly Start. Editor-in-chief Eldin Karic explained why he chose IWPR’s article over the thousands of others he could have chosen.

“We republished your article because the angle you provided was interesting and you kept it real, while everyone else seems to be engaged in the sensationalist side of the whole Karadzic story,” he said.

“You also provided views of a wide range of people, which made your report balanced and unbiased.”

The project team was also approached by a number of high-profile media organisations looking for informed opinion on what Karadzic’s arrest would mean for the Balkans. Jennings was interviewed by Associated Press TV, France 24 and Al-Jazeera.