LOCAL PRESS

Hague Tribunal sentences Ratko Mladic to life in prison (B92)

 

The Hague Tribunal (ICTY) sentenced today former wartime commander of the Army of the Serb Republic (VRS) Ratko Mladic to life in prison. Mladic stood accused of genocide against some 7,000 Muslims (Bosniaks) from Srebrenica, persecution of Muslims and Croats across B&H, violations of the laws and customs of war, and taking UN peacekeepers hostage. Mladic was found not guilty on one count of genocide (seven municipalities), but guilty on the second (Srebrenica), as well as on all other counts of the indictment. “The crimes committed are among the most horrible known to humanity - and they include genocide and extermination. The defense referred to various factors, to his good intentions, good character, poor health, advanced age, mental state. The chamber believes that these factors have little or no weight,” Judge Alphons Orie said as he read the verdict. Both the prosecution and the defense have the right to appeal today’s first instance judgment. Mladic was arrested in Serbia in May 2011 after spending 12 years hiding. He was extradited to the Hague Tribunal, where his trial started in May 2012. Despite his ill health, the former military leader of Serbs in Bosnia arrived to the courtroom today, crossing himself, smiling, and giving a thumbs-up. But the proceedings were interrupted for almost an hour as the judge ordered a break at the request of the defense, during which Mladic was tended to by the doctors for high blood pressure. When he returned to the courtroom, Mladic refused to sit down and started shouting that “everything being said was a lie”. He was then warned several times and had his microphone switched off, and was eventually removed from the courtroom. With today’s ruling, the Hague Tribunal concluded its work.

 

Vucic: We all knew what the verdict would be, let us build the future (RTS)

 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has stated that we all knew what the outcome of the verdict to Ratko Mladic would be. Vucic says that Serbia has always respected victims of all nations, but that he is not sure that others have shown this kind of piety towards Serbian victims. “But this is also our job and we will do this together with representatives of our nation from the entire region, counting not on the fact that we have the right to forget the past, but that it is our obligation to build a different future,” said Vucic. He told those who lectured us on the future and who could hardly wait to lecture us: “Stop with this hypocrisy, leave us alone, if you are not thinking about the future, let us think about it and build it.”

 

Other reactions to Mladic’s verdict (Tanjug/RTS/TV Pink/Beta)

 

Serbian Minister of Trade Rasim Ljajic has stated the verdict to Mladic doesn’t represent a surprise, having in mind the part judicial practice in the ICTY, and the early verdicts to Mladic’s subordinates. He says that a new wave of ethnic intolerance should be prevented.

Serbian Justice Minister Nela Kuburovic has stated that today is a hard day for Serbia, adding that she doesn’t wish to comment the verdict to Ratko Mladic, because it is not final, but a first instance verdict. “I responsibly claim that Serbia is not running away from responsibility,” said Kuburovic, giving examples of trials of war crimes before domestic courts regardless of the nationality of indictees.

The leader of the Serbian Radical Party Vojislav Seselj has assessed for TV Pink that the verdict to Ratko Mladic is political. “The verdict is political, and it is aimed against the Serbian people who took part in the war, a little bit against Serbia as well, and mostly against the Republika Srpska,” said Seselj.

The leader of the Dveri Movement Bosko Obradovic has stated that he is rejecting all verdicts by the ICTY as illegal, unjust, and anti-Serbian, adding that Ratko Mladic is a hero for him. Obradovic told journalists in the Serbian parliament that the ICTY verdict is the peak of anti-Serb performance of this court, which he doesn’t recognize because it is anti-Serb.

Serbian MP and leader of the United Serbia party Dragan Markovic Palma claims that Mladic was the last defense to the creation of the Islamic state in Europe. “With today’s verdict to general Ratko Mladic, the ICTY is lowering the curtain on the biggest disgrace in the history of world judiciary. The result of the ICTY is that those who were killed the most, are the ones most indicted. The Serbs have been indicted to 12 centuries of imprisonment, while the Croats, Muslims and Albanians to around 200 years, where the Croats were mostly indicted for crimes against the Muslims and vice versa,” said Markovic in a written statement.

The Serbian Resistance Movement (SPO) and the League of Social-Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV) have stated that it is very important not to interpret the verdict to one man as a verdict to Serbia and the Serbian people. “All those who are declaring the verdict to one man as the verdict to the Serbian people and state are not defending Serbia and the Serbian people but disgracing and criminalizing them,” reads the SPO statement.

The leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) Milos Jovanovic has stated that the verdict to Mladic is formally and legally a verdict to one person, but politically this is a verdict to the Serbian people and Republika Srpska. Jovanovic denies the thesis that genocide was committed in Srebrenica, noting that this is not a correct qualification.

The leader of the Liberal-Democratic Party (LDP) Cedomir Jovanovic thinks that this verdict should be the basis on which we need to build new relations, policy of reconciliation in the entire region, primarily in B&H. “This must not be cause for instigating hatred and conflicts, but a warning and call for responsibility before ourselves, before the past and future generations,” said Jovanovic.

 

No outstanding issues with Argentina (RTS)

 

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic and Vice President of Argentina Gabriela Michetti assessed today in Buenos Aires that the bilateral political relations of the two countries are at an extremely high level. The two officials assessed that there are no open issues between the two countries and that cooperation in international organizations was enhanced, with particular emphasis on the importance of respecting the principles of international law and territorial integrity, for which both countries are in favor. Dacic and Michetti exchanged views on regional issues, as well as on common security challenges and risks. The officials agreed that it is necessary to supplement the extraordinary political relations with economic cooperation, which is of interest to both countries.

 

Dacic: Serbia will not recognize Kosovo and Metohija because of EU membership (RTS)

 

Full-fledged EU membership is Serbia’s absolute foreign-political priority, but Serbia will not recognize Kosovo’s independence because of the EU membership, Dacic said in Buenos Aires.

In a speech at the Argentinean Council for International Relations (CARDI), Dacic stressed that Serbia finds the support of Argentina for its efforts to preserve sovereignty and territorial integrity particularly important. “We want to reach agreement, we want a just and lasting solution, but to have to recognize unilateral acts - never, not even at the cost of failing to join the EU. We owe a great debt of gratitude to our friends who help us in this regard, in terms of their political support for our position, and I count Argentina among them, as one of the most important partners,” said Dacic. According to him, relations and cooperation between Serbia and Argentina have been preserved in a difficult period through which Serbia has passed.

“The Republic of Argentina is one of our most important partners not only in Latin America but in the world,” Dacic said, addressing the highly renowned institution, where he was awarded the honorary CARI member diploma, and entered the Book of Official Guests. In his speech on the topic “Foreign Policy of Serbia and Current Challenges”, Dacic stressed that Serbia wants to strengthen relations with all Latin American countries, which are its traditional partners and with which it has strong historical ties. “The countries of Latin America and the Caribbean are our friends,” Dacic said, adding that Serbia appreciates their consistency in respecting international law, including the principle of territorial integrity and sovereignty.

 

REGIONAL PRESS

 

Reactions to Mladic’s verdict (Nezavisne/Srna/Fena)

 

The verdict of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia against Ratko Mladic, the Supreme Commander of the Republika Srpska (RS) Army, is another confirmation that war crimes doesn’t pay, no matter how much criminals hide and try to escape from their responsibility, said Denis Zvizdic, Chairman of the B&H Council of Ministers. He pointed out that the sentence given by The Hague Tribunal to the VRS war commander would not return thousands of innocent civilians killed or bring the final peace to their families, but the importance of this court ruling is far-reaching for the future of the entire region. "The war history of the former Yugoslavia will be written on the basis of evidence and facts that have been unequivocally established in the Hague tribunals, and all the rest are daily political reactions aimed at diminishing or relativizing the historical significance of the present event," said Zvizdic. He added that Ratko Mladic commanded military units that committed "some of the worst crimes in recent history, his responsibility is determined beyond any reasonable doubt and he will only be remembered for his crimes." "I hope that the judgment handed down to Ratko Mladic by the ICTY today will be read carefully by all those who are still calling for new divisions and conflicts, if they are not ready to face their past," Zvizdic said.

B&H Presidency Member Mladen Ivanic, commenting on today's verdict against General Ratko Mladic, said that, from the Hague Tribunal who issued five life sentences to the Serbs, prior to the Mladic ruling, with a total of 758 years in prison, 166 years for Croats, and only 41.5 years for Bosniaks, nothing else could been expected. He believes that the Mladic judgment "shows that the court continues to have a negative attitude towards the Serbs and that the Hague Tribunal will remain remembered not by sharing justice, but by being political." "The Hague Tribunal has brought distrust instead of trust, and instead of reconciliation, it will lead to new political conflicts," B&H Presidency member said. He emphasized that Republika Srpska (RS) continues to function and remains the guarantor of the survival of the Serb people in B&H. "Everyone in Sarajevo who tries to question the RS will not succeed in this. The Serb people have enough instruments to defend their position and institutions" said Ivanic. He also said that "in no way should we give up support to General Mladic and that he should be given maximum assistance in the appeals process".

Republika Srpska (RS) Assembly speaker Nedeljko Cubrilovic said today that the Hague Tribunal in its first-instance verdict to General Ratko Mladic, has continued its usual practice of imposing high sentences to former political and military leadership of RS, which once again showed that it is biased, not objective and is politically motivated.

Vice President of SDS Main Board, Mirko Sarovic said that ICTY’s first-instance verdict to Mladic will raise tensions in B&H. “I am disappointed, because I expected different decision. It is not final, nor it is valid and in the essence it will raise tensions in B&H and will not contribute to the cause of establishing of the ICTY, which is reconciliation in B&H” said Sarovic.

RS Assembly deputy speaker Nenad Stevandic told Srna that by pronouncing the first instance verdict to General Ratko Mladic, the Hague Tribunal confirmed that it was biased and could not be a measure of justice and fairness. "The Hague Tribunal did not want to sentence Croatian generals Mladen Markac, Ante Gotovina, the commander of the Muslim forces in Srebrenica, Naser Oric and the members of the Mujahideens, because they were not planned to be blamed. A different history has been designed and the Hague Tribunal cannot be a benchmark for justice, and especially for writing of the history" Stevandic said. He believes that the Hague Tribunal, with its judgments, hides the role of those who started the war in B&H.

Chair of PDP Caucus in the RS Assembly Miroslav Brckalo deems that verdict to Mladic, presents another political verdict, stressing that the verdict is based on many frivolous and unproven facts, most notably those which refer to crime in Markale market.

The Alliance for a Better Future (SBB) B&H welcomed the ICTY ruling, in which former Republika Srpska (RS) Army Commander Ratko Mladic was found guilty. The membership of the SBB, headed by President Fahrudin Radoncic, believes that every punishment for Mladic is mild considering hundreds of thousands of his victims, including the families of those who were killed, but, as they say, let them find peace in the fact that Mladic will never feel the benefits of freedom ever again. SBB expresses disappointment that the Tribunal, with the exception of Judge Ori, did not sentenced Mladic for genocide in Vlasenica, Prijedor, Foca and other municipalities in B&H. "At the same time, life imprisonment for genocide in Srebrenica is another confirmation that the RS Army intended to physically destroy Bosniaks," the SBB said.

SDP B&H noted that verdict to Mladic is without any doubt, historic event for victims of the crime and for state of B&H. The party noted that this verdict presents certain, and delayed satisfaction for the victims. “Just the same, we deem that the verdict to Mladic must not be a cause of any kind of fuss, raising of tensions and new rejection to face with the truth that is established by the courts”. SDP hopes that this verdict will serve as a warning and hopefully as a turning point, which will contribute to rejection of retrograde, wartime politics in B&H and in the region.

SDS leader Vukota Govedarica told Srna that the verdict will contribute to division between, already divided, peoples in B&H. He stressed that all those who deem that this will lead to reconciliation, are very mistaken, adding that ICTY has a selective approach. Govedarica wonders who will secure justice for Serb victims and their families and added that “the ICTY is under political and criminal influence” and it has done more harm than good to B&H.

PDP President Branislav Borenovic said that the first-instance verdict of the ICTY, in which the former General Staff Commander Ratko Mladic was sentenced to life imprisonment, showed that the court only judges the Serbs and is not interested in justice. "The Hague Tribunal intended to deal with the Serbs in a brutal and cruel manner and will be remembered for exclusively draconian sentences against the Serbs, and almost none against the accused Bosniaks," Borenovic said. He stressed that this only shows that the character and content of the court's work in The Hague is extremely debatable. "With the full support to General Mladic, we expect to challenge this sentence in the appeals process. We want to believe that in the appeals process many counts of the indictment will be disputed" emphasized Borenovic.

Independent Bloc deems that verdict to Mladic closes down an important chapter in recent history of Bosnia and Herzegovina. “Ratko Mladic is symbol of evil and this verdict partially demonstrated the justice- this evil needs to go to the junkyard of history, as one of the biggest war criminals after WWII. Every other interpretation presents revisionism, falsifying of the past and taking the side of convicted war criminals,” reads the statement.

 

Brammertz: This is not a verdict for the entire Serbian people (Nezavisne)

 

ICTY Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz said today, after the court sentenced Ratko Mladic to life imprisonment, that this was not a verdict for the entire Serbian people. As he told reporters in The Hague, "Mladic's guilt is his and only his". Brammertz said he would examine the verdict before deciding whether to file a complaint regarding one point on which Mladic was acquitted.

 

International reactions to Mladic’s verdict (Klix.ba/Fena)

 

People killed cannot be brought back to life, but truth and a sense of justice are the first steps towards reconciliation and a shared understanding of the past. The High Representative (HR) Valentin Inzko described today’s verdict as an extremely important step toward bringing those individuals responsible for the most horrific crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H)to justice. “Crimes committed under Ratko Mladic’s command, including genocide, brought enormous pain and suffering to everyone in B&H, the consequences of which will be felt for many generations. The direct victims and survivors of these crimes serve as a constant reminder of why the ICTY was created, why its work is so important, and why justice is crucial to the healing processes of the entire society. I understand that for the victims and survivors, the wait for justice seemed too long, but I hope this verdict will provide them with some sense of closure and some sense of justice, because the need for justice and closure is timeless and universal.” The HR also called upon all authorities in B&H and all citizens to respect the verdict and refrain from politicizing it. “There are no bad nations, only bad individuals. I hope therefore that everyone will take this opportunity to recommit themselves to the reconciliation process. Justice does not per se bring reconciliation, but it is an essential first step in the quest for a shared understanding of the past and finding the full truth of the events from July 1995. This understanding is the path towards a secure and peaceful future,” concluded Inzko.

US Embassy to B&H deems that today’s verdict of the ICTY in case against Ratko Mladic, presents an important step towards establishing of responsibility of individuals who caused huge suffering of B&H citizens, “We hope that this verdict will bring peace to victims and their families, and give them a feeling that justice has been done at least to a certain extent”, reads statement.  Embassy appeals to all sides to accept this verdict and turn towards continuous engagement on reconciliation and peaceful coexistence.

Former High Representative Paddy Ashdown stated that the murderer of Srebrenica has faced justice, and those who respect rule of law will welcome the verdict. According to Ashdown, “those who bled during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina have received satisfaction”. “People in B&H who know that there is no peace without justice now can look at the future with more security”, Ashdown stated.

 

Anniversary of DPA initialing marked as holiday in RS (N1)

 

Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA) was initialed 22 years ago, which was the end of the war in B&H. Main participants of the peace conference in Ohio were B&H President Alija Izetbegovic, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and US diplomat Richard Holbrooke. The agreement was officially signed in Paris on December 14, 1995. Following the initialing, Izetbegovic said that this agreement is not fair, but added that it is not possible to achieve fairer peace. Tudjman said that this agreement will enable long-term peace. Milosevic said that there are no winners in a civil war.

Republika Srpska (RS) President Milorad Dodik stated on Tuesday that the RS did not transfer any responsibility with free political will. “Everything was done by pressures against people, threats, punishments, imprisoning, persecution, maltreating and torture by the international community (IC). Goal of perpetual denial by High Representatives and subdued actions was to transfer responsibilities to B&H level and create a unitary country, as West circles promised to Alija Izetbegovic. The RS managed to fight against all that,” he stressed.

RS Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic stated that some responsibilities were taken in a brutal way, while others were introduced in a form of agreement, but without effects. She stressed that B&H would be more functional and organized if responsibilities were restored.

Speaker of RS National Assembly (RSNA) Nedeljko Cubrilovic stated that RSNA will do everything to protect responsibilities of the RS, which were defined by DPA.

 

US Embassy to B&H organizes meeting with reps of political parties in Federation of B&H to discuss proposals of amendments to Election Law of B&H (FTV)

 

The US Embassy to B&H, with participation of representatives of the OSCE Mission to B&H, organized in Sarajevo on Tuesday a meeting with representatives of political parties in the Federation of B&H, in order to discuss the proposals of amendments to the Election Law of B&H. SDA, SBB B&H, SDP and DF assessed as unacceptable the proposal submitted by HDZ B&H and the parties gathered around the Croat People’s Assembly (HNS). HDZ B&H’s proposal has been already adopted at the B&H House of Peoples (B&H HoP) and it is yet to be discussed at the B&H House of Representatives (B&H HoR). At the same time, representatives of SDP and DF confirmed to FTV that the proposal they recently forwarded to the Federation of B&H Parliament, which refers to the issue of election of delegates in the Federation of B&H HoP, is acceptable to SDA with certain remarks referring to technical details that are possible to harmonize. According to SDP and DF, their proposal complies with all relevant provisions and it would certainly lead to implementation of the ruling that the Constitutional Court of B&H reached upon the motion filed by Chairman of HNS Main Council Bozo Ljubic. Member of SDP Presidency Zoran Mikulic stated that they had a useful dialogue in which everyone presented their proposals and suggestions, as well as remarks about the other proposals. However, he added that it was only an informal meeting, while official discussions on this issue will be held in the institutions of B&H.

 

Covic pays visit to Afghanistan, meets with high ranking NATO officials (Oslobodjenje)

 

Chairman of the Presidency of B&H Dragan Covic and a delegation of B&H led by Minister of Defense of B&H Marina Pendes paid a visit to Afghanistan and met with the country’s President Ashraf Ghani and visited members of the Armed Forces of B&H engaged in the peace mission ‘Resolute Support’ in Kabul and in Bagram Airfield base. Covic underlined that B&H supports the efforts for peaceful and diplomatic solutions to all the open issues in Afghanistan, and the country is contributing to peace and stability by participating in the NATO peace operations. Covic also met with Commander of the NATO Mission ‘Resolute Support’, General John Nicholson, who commended members of the AF B&H as very professional, well trained and disciplined soldiers who keep contributing greatly to the Mission. Covic stated that B&H, although not a NATO member, is ready to expand the engagement of the AF B&H. Chairman of the Presidency of B&H also met with NATO Senior Civilian Representative Cornelius Zimmermann and high ranking civilian officials of NATO.

 

Ivanov will sign the Law on languages only if it is in accordance with the Constitution (Meta)

 

The President Gjorge Ivanov will state his opinion about the Law on languages after he receives the content of the law. “I’m following the discussion about the Law on languages but I still haven’t received the draft bill. When it arrives and when I see it, I shall state my opinion about it. The Law must be in accordance with the Constitution and the national interests,” said Ivanov during the joint press conference with the Albanian President Ilir Meta.

 

Grubi postponed the commission’s session for the law on languages (Meta)

 

The chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on European Affairs, Artan Grubi, postponed today’s committee session, where they were meant to discuss the draft law on the use of languages ​​at the second reading, said the Commission. The statement did not explain the reason for the cancellation of the session, which was due to take place on November 22nd – the Day of the Albanian Alphabet. As for the date when the session will be held, it will be additionally announced. The postponement of the session comes a day after EU Commissioner for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn said the government should focus on the priorities for which it will be reviewed, and Brussels is not seeking the law on languages, nor is it part of the Przino Agreement.

 

Albanian political factor, key role in inter-ethnic harmony (ATA)

 

The Albanian political factor plays a key role in inter-ethnic harmony and European integration processes, President of Albania Ilir Meta stated on Tuesday in Skopje. On the first day of official visit to Macedonia, Meta held separate meetings with the heads of Albanian political parties in Macedonia. President Meta met with the head of Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), Ali Ahmeti; the head of BESA, Bilal Kasami, the head of Alliance for Albanians, Zijadin Sela, as well as the head of Albanian Democratic Party, Menduh Thaci. Highlighting the key role of Albanian political factor in Macedonia, Meta stressed the importance of cooperation and constructive dialogue between all political parties for Macedonia’s future and Euro-Atlantic integration prospect. Meta emphasized the importance of all political parties in Macedonia cooperating in the interests of Euro-Atlantic integration and regional security. The head of state had a meeting with the head of Macedonian opposition VMRO-DPMNE, Nikolla Gruevski, where he highlighted the importance of opposition’s role in all Euro-integration processes of Macedonia.

 

INTERNATIONAL MEDIA SOURCES

 

Serbia PM says must leave the past behind after Mladic verdict (Reuters, 22 November 2017)

 

OSLO - Ex-Bosnian Serb general Rakto Mladic’s conviction for war crimes did not come as a surprise, Serbia’s prime minister said on Wednesday. “We need to look to the future, so we finally have a stable country,” Ana Brnabic told reporters during a visit to Oslo. “We need to leave the past behind,” she said. A U.N. tribunal convicted Mladic of genocide and crimes against humanity for orchestrating massacres and ethnic cleansing during Bosnia’s war and sentenced him to life in prison.

Reporting by Nerijus Adomaitis, writing by Terje Solsvik; Editing by Toby Chopra

 

‘It is NATO court!’ Former Bosnian Serb commander Mladic slams UN court that gave him life sentence (RT, 22 November 2017)

 

A United Nations tribunal has convicted General Ratko Mladic on 10 out of 11 counts of crimes he was accused of committing during the Balkan Wars of the 1990s. Critics of the prosecution of crimes during the violent collapse of Yugoslavia question its fairness. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) handed down its verdict on Wednesday. The justices found Mladic guilty on most of the allegations dating back to the 1992-1995 war, including the massacre of Bosnian men in Srebrenica. Mladic pleaded not guilty on all charges. Presiding Judge Alphons Orie said the court found that Mladic’s actions during the war were “among the most heinous known to humankind” and amounted to genocide. The court sentenced the Serb to life in prison. Mladic heard the verdict from a separate room, having been ousted by bailiffs after an outburst of criticism against the judges. The former general said in the courtroom that everything the judges said was a lie, the general’s son, Darko, told TASS. According to Darko, his father said: “This is all lies, this is a NATO court!” The tirade came in response to the court’s rejection of a request by Mladic’s lawyer to postpone the hearings due to the defendant’s high blood pressure. Darko added that he was not surprised by the ruling, saying: “The court was totally biased from the start.” The conviction is likely to fuel resentment in Serbia that the international prosecution of crimes committed during the Balkan Wars was one-sided and failed to bring justice to victims of Albanians and Croats. Of the 161 individuals indicted by the ICTY, the body created specifically to prosecute wartime crimes, 94 are ethnic Serbs, compared to 29 Croats, nine Albanians and nine Bosniaks. Only a handful of Serbs, including politician Milan Milutinovic, General Momcilo Perisic and Yugoslav army captain Miroslav Radic were acquitted by the tribunal, compared to well over a dozen defendants of other nationalities. The tribunal insists the statistics reflect the actual crimes committed during the hostilities. The case of Mladic, 74, was the last for the ICTY to pass a verdict on. Among the crimes he was found guilty of were the killings of an estimated 8,000 Muslim males in the UN-designated safe zone in Srebrenica and the 43-month siege of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, during which over 11,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed. Mladic’s defense team said it would appeal the verdict, with his case joining some two dozen others pending new rulings. Belgrade and Moscow have on various occasions criticized the tribunal for a perceived anti-Serb bias. In 2015, Russia used its UN veto right to block a resolution on the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica tragedy, saying that the draft document depicted the Serbian people as the sole guilty party in the complex armed conflict in Yugoslavia.

 

‘Butcher of Bosnia’ Ratko Mladic convicted of war crimes (The Week, by Kyler Sumter, 22 November 2017)

 

Former Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic was sentenced to life in prison by a UN court today after being convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity during the Bosnian War. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia determined that Mladic, known as the ‘Butcher of Bosnia’, was the chief military organiser of a campaign to push Muslims, Croats and non-Serbs off their lands to create a homogeneous state for Bosnian Serbs. Mladic, 74, directed some of the worst atrocities of the war, including the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, Europe’s worst mass killing since the Second World War, reports the Associated Press. “Between 100,000 and 200,000 people were killed in the Bosnian War, between 1992 and 1995, and as many as 50,000 women were raped,” says Al Jazeera English.

A shouting Mladic was removed from the courtroom, in The Hague, before the verdict was read. He was found guilty of ten of 11 charges, including genocide, persecution and extermination.

Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, the former Bosnian Serb leader, were indicted in July 1995 for war crimes committed during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Karadzic was convicted of genocide last year for his role in the Srebrenica massacre. Mladic went into hiding for more than a decade but was found in northern Serbia in 2011. His trial stretched from 2011 until 2016, during which the court heard from 591 witnesses and examined nearly 10,000 pieces of evidence, The Guardian reports. Some survivors of the Bosnia war say Mladic’s fate means little as his ideology lives on. “Today in Bosnia, war criminals hold official positions. They walk freely, from [convicted war criminals] Biljana Plavsic to Momcilo Krajisnik. They’re returning to politics, and sit in high positions in this country and take our money,” Sarajevo survivor Denis Vrhovcic told Al Jazeera English.

 

Mladic’s defense team to appeal life sentence (TASS, 22 November 2017) THE HAGUE - The defense team of Ratko Mladic, a former Bosnian Serb general, plans to file an appeal against the verdict of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, lawyer Dragan Ivetic said on Wednesday. "The appeal will be lodged, and we hope that during the consideration of the appeal, the mistakes made by the court will be rectified," Ivetic said.

 

PM says success in tackling drug related crime puts Albania on road to meeting EU accession criteria (Eureporter, by Martin Banks, 22 November, 2017)

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The prime minister of Albania says his country is “no longer the cannabis capital” of Europe, writes Martin Banks.

But, in a letter to EU leaders and heads of state, Edi Rama admits that “much is left to do” in the battle against drugs related crime in Albania. His message comes on the eve of a summit in Brussels next month where EU leaders are expected to provide an update on the progress made by Albania in meeting strict EU accession criteria. Robust measures against organised crime, including tackling drug cultivation, was one five key conditions set by the Commission in granting candidate status to Albania in 2014. Rama’s letter, a copy of which has been seen by this website, also comes in the wake of a recent major analysis of cannabis cultivation in the country. The report by the Albanian interior ministry and based on data from the Italian Financial police says that “after a decade of uncontrolled cultivation and dispersion” of cannabis the situation is now under control. It says this shows that “when and where there is political will, determination and dedication to objectives and lawlessness, everything is possible.”

A source close to the prime minister took aim at Lulzim Basha, leader of the opposition Democratic Party in Albania who has been accused of running a campaign to discredit the government’s anti-drugs efforts. Basha has been accused of avoiding discussing the effective elimination of cannabis cultivation. The source said, “Basha’s media push to discredit our efforts could put EU negotiations at risk. He’s really just trying to cover up his former government’s role in permitting this problem to develop in the first place.” In his letter to EU leaders, Rama highlights “the often very difficult steps” taken to prepare his country for conformity with the EU acquis communautaire – the conditions which must be met for accession. His said his government “understood the extraordinary challenges represented by these conditions. We had been given a responsibility. We chose to act.” His comments come a year after the European Commission recommended opening of accession negotiations with Albania. This came in light of the progress in meeting the key priorities and subject to “credible and tangible” progress in the implementation of the justice reform, in particular the re-evaluation of judges and prosecutors.

Rama says his government initiated “massive undertakings strongly opposed by vested interests whose resistance at times has even placed our young democratic system at risk.” He adds, “We stood our ground and, based on the results of parliamentary elections earlier this year, I can say that Albanian citizens stood with us.” Recently, the government, he says, had approved “ambitious” plans to combat organized crime. “We have placed gang leaders on notice: Wherever they may be hiding, we will find and arrest them, and we will charge them, trusting our newly reformed justice system to send those convicted to prison. And we will confiscate their illicit assets. The criminal sub-culture Albanians have endured for years is coming to an end.” He goes on, “We are in the process of building a nationwide law enforcement infrastructure specifically designed to root out this blight and to prevent it from infecting future generations. The PM said there were some who were “thriving” in EU countries from the proceeds of illegal drugs, prostitution, human trafficking and other illicit activities. “We want your help and offer ours in return, to catch these people and bring them to justice.” The war against drugs had, he noted, been assisted by Italy’s financial police, the Guardia di Finanza, and the EU. “We have had results. Last week, the Italian General Stefano Screpanti of the Guardia, disclosed a stunning change. Last year, the Guardia’s air surveillance over Albania reported 2,086 suspected cannabis plantations across Albania. The information led to scores of arrests and the destruction of crops.” As a result, this year’s surveillance revealed just 88 suspected plantations, or 150 times less compared to last year. “In other words,” he writes , “Albania is no longer Europe’s cannabis capital.” But the premier admits, “There is much left to do and we are committed to working with all our international partners to eliminate this.” He says there has been a step-change in Albania, “from the chaotic post-communist state of 27 years ago to the orderly, law-abiding and vibrant nation visible today. “We owe much to the EU for technical and economic assistance.” But we owe even more to our own aspirations to engage with and be part of the EU community of nations.” His message to EU leaders is that Albania’s success in the fight against drugs illustrates his country’s potential for “full accession and membership in the European family.”