Blewitt said in his interview with the Sarajevo-based 'Dnevni Avaz' daily that in 1999 an ICTY investigator had come in contact with persons who had been in touch with Karadzic.
"The goal was to persuade (Karadzic) to surrender. This would have eliminated the risk of injuries which might be done during forcible apprehension," Blewitt said in the interview published in Friday's issue of the daily.
There were no direct contacts between the ICTY and Karadzic, but mediators conveyed the demands of the war-time Bosnian Serb leader who insisted on the elimination of some segments of the indictment the tribunal issued against him. His requests referred to dropping the Srebrenica massacre and Sarajevo siege charges.
The answer was that no concessions would be made until Karadzic appeared in The Hague.
"I cannot say why Karadzic was never arrested. I personally believe that it was so due to the lack of political will, " said former ICTY prosecutor when he was asked to comment why Karadzic was still at large.
Blewitt holds that Karadzic is still hiding somewhere in Bosnia-Herzegovina thanks to the Serb Orthodox Church which he says harbours him.
On the other hand, General Ratko Mladic, who led Bosnian Serb troops in the war, has never tried to contact the UN tribunal, Blewitt said.
Blewitt believes that the general enjoys support of the army in Serbia where he is hiding.
Asked to comment on the final verdict for Bosnian Croat Tihomir Blaskic, whom the ICTY appeals chamber sentenced to nine years in jail, Blewit said he was surprised and shocked with the chamber's judgement as accusations against Blaskic had been very grave