MOSTAR/SIROKI BRIJEG, June 19 (Hina) - At his first public lecture since taking on duty as High Representative to Bosnia, Paddy Ashdown said in Siroki Brijeg on Wednesday that there was talk that there may be up to 7,000 accused of
war crimes in the country.
MOSTAR/SIROKI BRIJEG, June 19 (Hina) - At his first public lecture
since taking on duty as High Representative to Bosnia, Paddy
Ashdown said in Siroki Brijeg on Wednesday that there was talk that
there may be up to 7,000 accused of war crimes in the country. #L#
Ashdown made the comment during a visit to Bosnia by Hague Chief
Prosecutor Carla del Ponte and the president of the international
war crimes tribunal, Claude Jorda. Ashdown met with the heads of the
Hague tribunal on Monday.
Ashdown stressed that US President George Bush and Britain's Prime
Minister Toni Blair said that the arrest of Radovan Karadzic and
Ratko Mladic was a priority for the international community.
Ashdown said he was convinced in SFOR's firm decisiveness to arrest
the two. It is no longer a question whether they will be arrested but
when.
Ashdown estimated that refugee returns in Bosnia in their hundreds
was a unique case in the world.
Asked to comment on the recent replacement of the Bosnian
Federation's finance minister, Ashdown said that the decision was
not directed against Croats.
Responding to a question relating to the Hercegovacka Banka which
his predecessor blockaded, Ashdown admitted that the investigation
was taking too long, but emphasised that the results of the
investigation would be made known in the next few weeks.
He reiterated several times that reform in the judiciary was vital
so that the courts would stop protecting anyone with power and good
political connections.
(hina) sp