BELGRADE, June 26 (Hina) - Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica today dismissed the possibility on extraditing Yugoslav citizens, including former president Slobodan Milosevic, indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the
former Yugoslavia (ICTY) before a donors' conference scheduled for June 29. Kostunica told a news conference in Belgrade the ICTY "in an institution which cannot be avoided", but warned that the extradition of indictees to the tribunal would mean the violation of Yugoslav government decree on cooperation with the Hague-based court. "The decree cannot be applied within 48 hours, as this would mean violating the rights of the indictees to appeals, and other rights. It would present a direct violation of the decree, and I state this publicly," Kostunica said in reply to a question when Milosevic would be extradited to The Hague. Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic tod
BELGRADE, June 26 (Hina) - Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica
today dismissed the possibility on extraditing Yugoslav citizens,
including former president Slobodan Milosevic, indicted by the
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
before a donors' conference scheduled for June 29.
Kostunica told a news conference in Belgrade the ICTY "in an
institution which cannot be avoided", but warned that the
extradition of indictees to the tribunal would mean the violation
of Yugoslav government decree on cooperation with the Hague-based
court.
"The decree cannot be applied within 48 hours, as this would mean
violating the rights of the indictees to appeals, and other rights.
It would present a direct violation of the decree, and I state this
publicly," Kostunica said in reply to a question when Milosevic
would be extradited to The Hague.
Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic today said "the shortest
possible period for extradition is Friday," on the day the donors'
conference is held in Brussels. Djindjic stated this based on an
improbable calculation that Milosevic's attorneys would file
appeals as soon as tomorrow, and that the Serbian Supreme Court
convenes immediately and passes a decision on rejecting the
appeal.
Kostunica further said he personally advocated that war crimes
indictees be tried in Yugoslavia, added he had his point of view and
managed to prevent the cooperation with the ICTY to be founded on
"principles of banditism".
He holds that the decree on Yugoslavia's cooperation with the
tribunal is "a less acceptable solution than a law, but has its
advantages over the lawlessness which would have occurred had it
not been passed".
Djindjic informed reporters he met former Canadian prime minister
Bryan Malrouni and the US ambassador to Yugoslavia, William
Montgomery, who said the United States does not set the extradition
of Milosevic as a condition for America's participation at the
donors' conference for Yugoslavia.
Djindjic asserted the condition the US is setting is "the firm
stance of the Yugoslav government authorities that they will
efficiently cooperate with the ICTY, that is, find clear
instruments for cooperation".
(hina) lml