BELGRADE, Nov 20 (Hina) - The chief prosecutor of the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal, Carla Del Ponte, told reporters after meeting UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Belgrade on Wednesday that the former commander of the Bosnian
Serb army, Ratko Mladic, was still in Serbia.
BELGRADE, Nov 20 (Hina) - The chief prosecutor of the Hague-based UN
war crimes tribunal, Carla Del Ponte, told reporters after meeting
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Belgrade on Wednesday that the
former commander of the Bosnian Serb army, Ratko Mladic, was still
in Serbia. #L#
Addressing reporters after the meeting at the Belgrade office of
the UN tribunal, Del Ponte said that Mladic walked freely in
Belgrade and enjoyed special protection by part of the Yugoslav
army. She also stated that there was lack of political will to
arrest him.
Upon her arrival in the Yugoslav capital on Tuesday night, Del Ponte
met the Yugoslav Army Chief-of-Staff, General Branko Krga, Radio
B92 reported this morning.
The radio quoted well-informed sources as saying Del Ponte and Krga
discussed Mladic, and that Krga claimed that the army was not
protecting Mladic because he was a civilian, as well as that it
would not obstruct his possible arrest.
After her meeting with Annan today, Del Ponte said that there was no
need to release Milosevic so that he could undergo medical
treatment because that was not in line with law. She said that
Milosevic could receive adequate treatment in The Hague so the
tribunal could continue the trial.
Del Ponte did not request to meet Yugoslav state officials. After
his meeting with the ICTY chief prosecutor, Annan met the staff of
the UN mission to Belgrade.
(hina) rml