HAGUE TRIBUNAL: THERE IS NO INDICTMENT AGAINST BILJANA PLAVSIC

( Editorial: --> 3845 ) SARAJEVO/THE HAGUE, May 14 (Hina) - Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Graham Blewitt on Thursday denied that the Tribunal had issued an indictment against the Republika Srpska President Biljana Plavsic. In a statement sent today to Sarajevo media, Blewitt said the Prosecutor's Office went against its custom of not responding to media headlines concerning indictments because it wanted to deny some media reports from Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia saying Plavsic was recently held up at Vienna airport upon orders by the ICTY. The media also reported that the Tribunal withdrew the indictment because Plavsic started to cooperate with the international community and appointed Milorad Dodik premier of the Bosnian Serb government. The Deputy Prosecutor also refuted media reports saying the ICTY had issued an arrest warrant for Plavsic. Blewitt said that claims saying the indictment against 14 Bosnian Serbs was recently withdrawn because of lack of evidence were completely unfounded. Blewitt recalled that prosecutor Louise Arbour herself clearly said that there was evidence on severe violations of humanitarian law and that the Hague Tribunal was ready to assist the local judiciary in Bosnia-Herzegovina in initiating proceedings. (hina) rm/mrb 141532 MET may 98