ARREST OF TWO BOSNIAN SERBS IN LINE WITH "RIGHT OF WAY" REGULATION

( Editorial: --> 2251 ) SARAJEVO, March 25 (Hina) - The arrest of two Bosnian Serbs accused of war crimes was carried out in line with earlier adopted rules, said UN spokesman in Sarajevo Liam McDowall on Wednesday. McDowall was commenting on the case of two Bosnian Serbs who were arrested in the area of Sarajevo last weekend. However, McDowall warned that the reasons why Sarajevo police failed to timely and fully inform the International Police Task Force (IPTF) about the arrest were unknown. Milomir Tepes and Dragan Pejic were arrested on the territory of Sarajevo Canton on the basis of arrest warrants issued earlier by the Bosnian authorities because the two men were suspected of being responsible for severe violations of the Geneva convention on the protection of civilians during war conflicts. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) did not have any complaints regarding the continuation of criminal proceedings against Tepes and Pejic, although the Tribunal itself was not interested in trying the two men, McDowall said. The UN spokesman criticised Sarajevo police for letting 24 hours pass before the IPTF was informed about the arrest and the fact that the arrests were made on the basis of war crimes charges. The arrests were carried out in line with the so-called "right of way", signed by the representatives of the two Bosnian entities in 1996. According to the regulation, local police are not allowed to carry out arrests of war crimes suspects unless they previously inform the Hague Tribunal about their intention and the Court gives its opinion on whether the procedure is justified or not. One should not be naive and think that such arrests will not reflect on freedom of movement in Bosnia-Herzegovina, McDowall warned. The Serb member of the Bosnian Presidency, Momcilo Krajisnik, and the President of the Bosnian Serb entity, Biljana Plavsic, protested against the arrests with the Office of the High Representative. Plavsic asked Westendorp that the Muslim-Croat Federation side hand over the arrested to the Republika Srpska authorities so that "anxiety and tension could be lessened". Sarajevo Canton Interior Minister Ismet Dahic announced at a press conference yesterday that new arrests based on war crimes charges could be carried out soon. (hina) jn rm /mb 251720 MET mar 98