SARAJEVO, Sept 5 (Hina) - The chief prosecutor of The Hague-based international war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Carla del Ponte, met with the members of the Bosnian state presidency in Sarajevo on Wednesday at
the beginning of a series of talks she is to hold with the country's highest state officials and international representatives in Bosnia. After an hour-long meeting with Presidency members Zivko Radisic and Beriz Belkic, del Ponte refused to say if she had handed them new sealed indictments. She insisted that the talks focused on the possibility of cooperation with Bosnian authorities, including the possibility of Bosnian courts trying war crimes suspects. The Hague Tribunal cannot try all those responsible for war crimes which is why it is important for domestic courts to take over part of the responsibility for such trials, she said. The ICTY chief prosecutor said she w
SARAJEVO, Sept 5 (Hina) - The chief prosecutor of The Hague-based
international war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
(ICTY), Carla del Ponte, met with the members of the Bosnian state
presidency in Sarajevo on Wednesday at the beginning of a series of
talks she is to hold with the country's highest state officials and
international representatives in Bosnia.
After an hour-long meeting with Presidency members Zivko Radisic
and Beriz Belkic, del Ponte refused to say if she had handed them new
sealed indictments.
She insisted that the talks focused on the possibility of
cooperation with Bosnian authorities, including the possibility of
Bosnian courts trying war crimes suspects.
The Hague Tribunal cannot try all those responsible for war crimes
which is why it is important for domestic courts to take over part of
the responsibility for such trials, she said.
The ICTY chief prosecutor said she was "very happy" about the
statement of the chief commander of the Stabilisation Force (SFOR),
General Michael Dodson, who said that he knew Karadzic's and
Mladic's whereabouts. I am very interested in his explanation, she
told reporters before meeting the US general.
Bosnian Presidency member Beriz Belkic confirmed today's meeting
emphasised the importance of arresting Karadzic as soon as
possible, but added the Bosnian Serb authorities, too, had to
shoulder responsibility for that.
Belkic promised his country would cooperate fully with the ICTY,
explaining the cooperation would be within the Foreign Ministry's
jurisdiction. However, all other bodies of authority are
encouraged to participate.
The technical part of preparations for sending all war-time
transcripts of the state presidency sessions to The Hague has been
completed, Belkic said, adding this did not refer to the sessions
held while there was no electricity because it was not possible to
make the transcripts of those sessions.
This refers to ten sessions of the state presidency, of which no
notes were made, and another 40 sessions during which only minutes
were taken.
Belkic told reporters the presidency had been assured the
indictment against Milosevic would soon be expanded to include
crimes in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.
(hina) rml