Mladic Extradition Goes Ahead
"No refuge" for war crimes suspects, Serbian justice minister says.
Mladic Extradition Goes Ahead
"No refuge" for war crimes suspects, Serbian justice minister says.
General Ratko Mladic, the wartime commander of the Bosnian Serb military, was put on a plane on May 31 as he began his journey to face trial in The Hague.
Announcing the news, Serbian justice minister Snezana Malovic told a press conference in Belgrade that “all the legal requirements for his extradition to the Hague tribunal have been met”.
“He is on the plane as we speak,” Malovic said, speaking shortly after 5 pm local time. “Serbia will not provide refuge to persons indicted for war crimes.”
Earlier in the afternoon, Malovic ruled that there were no legal obstacles to the extradition of Mladic, arrested in the village of Lazarevo in northern Serbia on May 26.
The Special Court in Belgrade rejected an appeal which was filed on May 30 to prevent extradition going ahead, but the justice minister had to give the green light for it to take place.
Malovic said sending the former Bosnian Serb commander to The Hague would be “a message of reconciliation for the whole region”.
Mladic was expected to arrive in The Hague later on May 31, and an initial appearance before tribunal judges could then take place within 48 hours.
At the international tribunal, officials said everything was ready for the indicted suspect’s arrival.
Responding to claims by Mladic's lawyer Milos Saljic that his client was too ill to stand trial in The Hague, tribunal officials said they were capable of taking care of all indicted persons, including those in poor health.
Belgrade media reported that in the morning, Mladic was allowed to visit the grave of his daughter Ana, who reportedly committed suicide in 1994.
Merdijana Sadovic is IWPR’s ICTY programme manager.
