"In recent weeks, a number of persons indicted for war crimes from Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and, most recently, from Kosovo, have agreed to render themselves up voluntarily to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. This is a welcome development because it reinforces the chances that justice will finally be done for the terrible crimes committed during the wars in the Balkans," read a press release issued by the Council of Europe.
"It is also encouraging that a growing number of indicted persons are giving themselves up immediately when they receive the charges against them, which is a welcome shift from the obstructionist and politicised atmosphere which has so far characterised the attitude of some governments in the region over co-operation with The Hague Tribunal," the press release reads.
Van der Linden said he believed that General Rasim Delic, General Momcilo Perisic and Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, who recently left for The Hague, "fully understood what was at stake and acted in a responsible manner which must be welcomed by all."
"Their decision to face the charges immediately and try to prove their innocence in a court of law should mark the beginning of a new phase. It should send a message to those authorities who persistently fail to understand that co-operation with the ICTY is not optional, but is a legally-binding obligation and that justice cannot forever be held hostage to nationalist sentiments and narrow political interests," the press release concluded