Day two of Del Ponte's Belgrade visit
Belgrade, October 24 (Source: B92)
Hague Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte continues her visit to Belgrade today. She is expected to meet with President Boris Tadić and Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica. >>>

Šešelj disappointed with Hague judge
The Hague , October 25 (Source: B92)
Serb Radical Party (SRS) leader Vojislav Šešelj's case at the Hague was debated in a status conference this week. Šešelj, charged with crimes against humanity in Croatia, Bosnia Herzegovina and Vojvodina, will be tried before a chamber consisting of ad litem judges Flavia Lattanzi from Italy and Frederik Harhoff from Denmark, with French judge Jean-Claude Antonetti presiding. The ICTY president proposed their appointment to the UN Secretary-General, whose decision is expected in the next couple of days. >>>

Hunt for Hague fugitives continues
Belgrade, Bela crkva, October 24 (Source: B92)
Carla Del Ponte arrives in Belgrade tomorrow, while the military police last night conducted searches of Army facilities. As coordinator of the government Action Plan Rasim Ljajić confirmed to B92 that search operations for the remaining war crimes fugitives had been carried out in Bela Crkva during the day Tuesday. The searches were performed in the barracks and officers club in Bela Crkva, said Ljajić, and added that it was a part of their regular activities of searching military facilities. >>>

New privatization law looming
Belgrade, October 19 (Source: B92)
The government has adopted the amendments to the Law on Privatization. In so doing, they have set December 31, 2008 as the deadline for the completion of the process. By then, tenders or auctions have to be announced for all remaining companies under state ownership, said Economy and Regional Development Minister Mlađan Dinkić yesterday. >>>

Ex-customs chief: I admit, but I'm innocent
Belgrade, October 18 (Source: B92)
The trial of the Milošević-era head of customs directorate continued at the Special Organized Crime Court today. Mihalj Kertes, formerly a high Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) official, told the judges he is innocent in the embezzlement and abuse of office case, with an indictment charging him with robbing the state budget of over 120mn Deutch marks in the 1990's. >>>

“Đinđić promised Mladić arrest”
Vienna, October 17 (Source: B92)
The Appeals Chamber will this week rule on the prosecution appeal against the acquittal of a former Bosnian Army chief. Also this week at the UN war crimes court, a hearing in the case of Dragan Zelenović who appealed against the sentence he received after he pleaded guilty to rapes in Foča. General Dragoljub Ojdanić will also take the stand at the Kosovo Six trial. The prosecution case will continue in the five ongoing trials. >>>

Hague: Final judgment for Halilović
The Hague, October 16 (Source: B92)
The Appeals Chamber will this week rule on the prosecution appeal against the acquittal of a former Bosnian Army chief. Also this week at the UN war crimes court, a hearing in the case of Dragan Zelenović who appealed against the sentence he received after he pleaded guilty to rapes in Foča. General Dragoljub Ojdanić will also take the stand at the Kosovo Six trial. The prosecution case will continue in the five ongoing trials. >>>

Press: Mladić prize still in focus
Belgrade, October 15 (Source: B92)
The Sunday newspapers focus on the new round of Kosovo talks and continue to dwell on the prize money on Ratko Mladić's head. BLIC – “EUR 1.5mn ransom demand” refers to last night’s release of Aleksandra Jovanović, the daughter of a Bor businessman, after being held hostage by kidnappers for 48 hours. “State won’t give grants” concerns the government’s decision to give financial help to only 16 students, rather than the envisaged 1000. >>>

No elections without new laws
Belgrade, October 12 (Source: B92)
The Ministry for Public Administration and Local Self-Government has completed one of the four laws needed for local elections. Public Administration and Local Self-Government Minister Milan Marković said that the ministry had completed a draft Law on territorial organization, and that next week it was due to be processed. Marković added that the laws on the capital, local elections and local self-government could not be completed until an electoral system had been decided on: first-past-the-post or proportional representation. >>>

Pocar: Serbia fails to arrest Mladić
The Hague, October 11 (Source: B92)
The Hague Tribunal president will inform the UN Serbia that failed to find and arrest Ratko Mladić in the past year. “The Serbian authorities have again failed to find and arrest Mladić, despite numerous assurances that they would do so,” Fausto Pocar says in his report he is due to present to the UN General Assembly on October 15. “When it comes to Radovan Karadžić, it seems that no one is assuming responsibility for his disappearance from the radar of the responsible services, “ adds the report. >>>

Closing arguments at second Sarajevo trial
The Hague, October 10 (Source: B92)
War crimes committed in Sarajevo, Kosovo, and by the Mujahideen, will all be on the Hague agenda this week. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Hague Tribunal prosecution and defense will present their closing arguments at the trial concerning artillery and sniper terror campaign against Sarajevo and its citizens in 1994 and 1995. The prosecution will call new evidence at the trials for Srebrenica, Herceg Bosna, Mujahideen crimes in Central Bosnia and the abductions and murders of Serb, Roma and Albanian civilians in Kosovo. >>>

Del Ponte: Mladić could be in custody by December
Paris, October 09 (Source: B92)
Carla Del Ponte said that Ratko Mladić could be arrested and extradited before the end of her mandate. “I am sure that Mladić can be arrested by December,” the Hague chief prosecutor said in an interview with French television station TV5. “As far as Radovan Karadžić is concerned, there are problems, because we do not know what country he is in. We know he is in the region, but we do not know if he is in Serbia, Montenegro or the Republic of Srpska,” Del Ponte said. “Mladić is in Serbia. The government and police must localize him, and assist in efforts to extradite him to the Hague. That is possible today, and tomorrow, and is definitely possibly before December,” she said. She met with French officials during a one-day visit, meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, among others.

Sandžak Muslims: Police raided mosque
Novi Pazar, Belgrade, October 08 (Source: B92)
Leaders of the Islamic community in Novi Pazar say a group of policemen allegedly attacked imams in Sjenica last night. A statement from the Meshihat, or the seat of the Islamic Community organization, says that some 30 officers allegedly raided a mosque using force, and removed "a high Islamic delegation" from the building, physically assaulting its members and several worshipers. The Novi Pazar Meshihat chief is mufti Muamer Zukorlić, who advocates Serbia Muslims' organizational ties with the Sarajevo Islamic Center. >>>

Wife calls on Karadžić to surrender
Sarajevo, October 05 (Source: B92)
Ljiljana Zelen-Karadžić called on her husband, Hague fugitive Radovan Karadžić, to surrender to the police. Zelen-Karadžić said that her family is “going through hell” because of his hiding and that she, his children and grandchildren expect him to surrender. She added that her family is "visited by CIA agents," that her son Aleksander was taken into custody and that international officials keep telling her that there will be serious consequences for the family if her husband does not turn himself in. >>>

Ljajić: Hague cooperation good
Belgrade, October 04 (Source: B92)
Rasim Ljajić has refuted Carla Del Ponte’s claim that Serbia was making slow progress in cooperation with the Hague. “When it comes to our collaboration in locating the remaining war crimes fugitives and submitting documentation requested by the Prosecution, Serbia has made significant progress,” the head of the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal told Beta agency on Wednesday in response to chief Hague prosecutor's statement. >>>

Ex-Hague official on Vukovar verdict
Zagreb, October 03 (Source: B92)
Šljivančanin knew what would happen to prisoners he handed over to the Vukovar Territorial Defense, Florence Hartmann says. In an interview with Croatian daily Jutarnji List published yesterday, former ICTY spokeswoman Florence Hartmann said she had visited Vukovar as a journalist for France’s Le Monde newspaper soon after Serb forces entered the town in November 1991. >>>

Vukovar 3 verdict sparks violence in Croatia
Belgrade, October 02 (Source: B92)
After the lenient verdicts handed out to the Vukovar Three, violence has flared in Croatia. Serbian properties in Benkovac have been demolished and fights have broken out between Serbs and Croats in Vukovar. On Sunday night, unknown attackers demolished six restored Serb houses near Benkovac. The owners of the homes were not in Croatia at the time. >>>

Parliament’s autumn sessions under way
Belgrade, October 01 (Source: B92)
The first autumn session of parliament will be held today. Speaker Oliver Dulić has proposed a discussion on the nomination of members and deputies to the Republic Electoral Commission, as well as on a proposal for amendments and supplements to the Government Law, the Law for Public Administration and the Law on State Holidays and other holidays. >>>

European integration, Mladić arrest inextricably linked
Belgrade, October 01 (Source: B92)
Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša feels Serbia should soon become a candidate for EU membership. That support, together with a similar call from Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi are the results of a diplomatic initiative, aimed at maximum acceleration of the integration process, B92 understands from Ksenija Milivojević, adviser to the government’s vice-president for European integration. >>>

“Mladić in Serbia, Karadžić maybe”
Belgrade, September 28 (Source: B92)
Carla Del Ponte maintains that Ratko Mladić is in Serbia, and that Radovan Karadžić is “in the region.” By “in the region”, the Hague chief prosecutor suggested that he was either in Serbia, Montenegro or the Republic of Srpska. Del Ponte told Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz that the international community had not done enough in its efforts to arrest Mladić and Karadžić, “which cannot be an excuse for Serbia and other countries in the region for not arresting them today.” >>>

Insults bring parliament session to halt
Belgrade, September 27 (Source: B92)
Oliver Dulić adjourned today’s session of the Serbian parliament because of offensive remarks uttered by a DSS lawmaker. The parliamentary speaker decided to stop the session after Marko Jakšić, an MP from Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica’s Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), insulted Christian Democratic Party of Serbia (DHSS) leader Vladan Batić, calling him “a Gypsy in character.” The two men had already had a heated argument yestrday at a session of the Parliamentary Board for Kosovo. >>>

Novi Pazar struggles with media blackout
Belgrade, September 26 (Source: B92)
Journalists in Novi Pazar continue to have difficulty in trying to report on the work of the local administration. It is already known that there are “black” and “white” lists of newspapers and journalists in Novi Pazar. The municipal information service, with the help of security personnel, chooses the journalists it will talk with. For over a year now, since new elections and the consolidation of the Party of Democratic Action (SDA) and the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS)-Nova Srbija (NS) coalition, the media has not followed the work of the local parliament. Regional television is the only media outlet with access, and it reports the news to other such companies. >>>

Kurir found guilty of libel
Belgrade, September 25 (Source: B92)
The Belgrade District Court fined daily Kurir EUR 12,500 for printing false information regarding Mlađan Dinkić. The G17 plus leader’s legal team yesterday completed the two-year lawsuit against Kurir for printing false information and libel in the period between May 20 and May 26, 2005. The fine, along with court costs, will be paid by then editor-in-chief Đoko Kesić, his deputy Svetomir Marjanović and the journalists responsible for writing the stories. In May 2005, Kurir published a number of articles, quoting security service reports from 2002, in which it was alleged that Dinkić received a large amount of money from a “lobby of importers” and that his time spent as governor of the National Bank of Yugoslavia was used to organize and finance the G17 plus party.

Tadić steps into fray at UN General Assembly
Belgrade, New York, September 24 (Source: B92)
Boris Tadić and Vuk Jeremić are in New York for the start of the 62nd annual session of the UN General Assembly. There, the president and the foreign minister will talk with a number of leaders from all round the world, and Beta understands from the president’s delegation that this “diplomatic offensive will be another opportunity for Serbia to once more outline to all the UN members its dedication to the organization and the significance of respect for the UN Charter.” >>>

Del Ponte meets security chiefs
Belgrade, September 21 (Source: B92)
Serbia's action team operatives and Chief Hague Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte talked for over three hours in Belgrade Thursday. The meeting took place at the Belgrade Special Court building, when National Coordinating Council for Hague Cooperation chairman Rasim Ljajić and Del Ponte were joined by Special Prosecutor Vladimir Vukčević, state security (BIA) and military intelligence (VBA) chiefs, Rade Bulatović and Svetko Kovač. Sources close to the meeting say the Serbian officials tried to reassure Del Ponte that although the four remaining indictees, Ratko Mladić, Radovan Karadžić, Goran Hadžić and Stojan Župljanin remain at large, "active work is being done to secure their arrests." >>>

Carla Del Ponte in Belgrade today
Belgrade, September 20 (Source: B92)
Hague Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte arrived in Belgrade today. She is expected to meet with officials to discuss the level of cooperation between Serbia and the Hague Tribunal, prior to submitting a report to the European Union. Del Ponte will meet with state officials on a political and operative level, in order to gauge progress in the search for the remaining Hague fugitives over the last three months, Del Ponte’s spokeswoman Olga Kavran told B92. Kavran said that Del Ponte has been asked by the EU to submit a report on her assessment of Serbia’s level of cooperation with the international war crimes tribunal.

Prosecution challenges Scorpions ruling
Belgrade, September 19 (Source: B92)
The War Crimes Prosecution has appealed to the Supreme Court challenging the rulings delivered in the Scorpions case. The Prosecution office said on Monday it was dissatisfied with the War Crimes Trial Chamber ruling in the trial of members of the Scorpions paramilitary unit who were accused and convicted of the murders of six Muslim civilians from Srebrenica, in the village of Trnovo, Bosnia, in 1995. Prosecutors said Serbia's war crimes court should have taken more notice of the testimonies of the aggrieved than of the accused, adding that the court failed to take into account the ages of the victims, who were between 16 and 25 years old. >>>

Video evidence of mujaheddin crimes
Bijeljina, The Hague, September 18 (Source: B92)
A Bosnian TV station has broadcast part of a new tape showing the activities of a mujaheddin unit during the Bosnian war. The tape shows some of the crimes committed by the unit against Bosnian Serbs during the 1992-1995 war in central Bosnia. The footage shows mujaheddin "sharpening axes" which they later allegedly used to behead a Serb soldier, and a speech is also recorded of a mujaheddin saying, "They call us terrorists. We are terrorists and we will destroy all the enemies of Allah." >>>

NGOs: State should not tolerate neo-nazis
Belgrade, September 17 (Source: B92)
Seven NGOs have called on state bodies to explain their indifference towards announced neo-nazi march in Novi Sad. "Competent bodies are fully aware of negative upshots of legalizing the ‘glorification of neo-nazism’ in Novi Sad streets, and we believe they will not react to prevent the rally announced for October 7,” seven non-governmental organizations said in a joint statement released on Sunday. >>>

Prosecution receives Scorpions ruling
Belgrade, September 14 (Source: B92)
The prosecution has received a dispatch, containing an explanation of the rulings in the Scorpions case. The matter relates to the rulings in the trial of members of the Scorpions paramilitary unit who were accused and convicted of the murders of six Muslim civilians from Srebrenica, in the village of Trnovo, Bosnia, in 1995. >>>

Serbia to intensify Hague efforts
Belgrade, September 13 (Source: B92)
Serbia will intensify its efforts to find Hague Tribunal suspects, said Rasim Ljajić. "We want to meet our commitments to the Hague as soon as possible, which would allow us to sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU by the end of the year," said President of the National Council for Cooperation with the Hague Tribunal Ljajić. "When I say that we’re going to intensify our work, that means we’re going to increase the number of search operations for Hague fugitives, as well as other operative activities which are aimed at locating them," he added. "Our search has not been motivated by her [Chief Hague Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte] arrival, instead we’re aware that we will be put under even more pressure from the international community to meet our commitments, and it is much more in our interests than the interests of the Hague or Brussels that we do this, because this is damaging us, not them," said Ljajić. Yesterday in Brussels, Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica said that Hague fugitive Ratko Mladić might not be in Serbia, and stressed that it was in Serbia’s interests to complete full cooperation with the Hague.

State sued over alleged police torture
Belgrade, September 12 (Source: B92)
The Humanitarian Law Center has sued the state on behalf of Šefko Bibić for police torture he says he suffered in 1993. The HLC wants Bibić from Sjenica to receive compensation for pain suffered during a beating he received from officers in a police station in the village of Karajukića Bunari in December 1993, when he claims he was physically abused and subjected to insults related to his ethnicity. >>>

Mladić arrest remains key condition for EU
Belgrade, September 10 (Source: B92)
The fifth round of technical negotiations between Serbia and the European Union will be held today. This meeting is expected to be Serbia’s last chance to reach agreement on the remaining technical issues needed for signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. Today’s meeting will deal with issues pertaining to trade concessions related to agricultural products, wines and other alcoholic beverages, as well as traffic issues >>>

Former prosecutor released from custody
Belgrade, September 07 (Source: B92)
Former district prosecutor Rade Terzić has been released from custody at Belgrade District Prison Thursday. A spokeswoman for the court, Maja Kovačević, told journalists that all the proposed witnesses had been questioned, but that the prosecutor's office had called for further witnesses to be interviewed. She said that even though the investigative judge had recommended that Terzić be released from custody, the prosecutor's office did not agree, and had asked for more time to speak to witnesses, fearing they would be intimidated if Terzić was set free. >>>

Hague concern over Haradinaj election appearance
The Hague, Belgrade September 06 (Source: B92)
The Hague Tribunal is extremely concerned over announcements that Ramush Haradinaj will top an electoral list. The prosecution thinks that Haradinaj’s activities will further frighten witnesses who are to appear before the tribunal in the case against him. "The court has established that an atmosphere exists where witnesses in that case are afraid to come and testify before the tribunal , and that’s why we believe that his appearance in the elections at the top of a list would have an entirely negative effect on witnesses," says Olga Kavran, Hague Tribunal spokeswoman. >>>

“Progress made in Anastasijević case”
Belgrade, September 04 (Source: B92)
Progress has been made in the probe into the attempted murder of journalist Dejan Anastasijević, a police official says. Police Director Milorad Veljović told the Danas daily that the case was still a priority for the Serbian Police (MUP) and that there had been certain developments in the investigation. >>>

"Serbia resolved to solve Hague issue"
Belgrade, September 03 (Source: B92)
Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić says the Serbia is "absolutely committed" to wrapping up cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. "The government's political devotion to solving this question is not being questioned," Jeremić told a news conference held in the government building, where he presented the his ministry's results after 100 days in office, Beta news agency reported. >>>

"Mladić was in Serbia until 2005"
Belgrade, August 31 (Source: B92)
BIA Director Rade Bulatović says Hague war crimes suspect Ratko Mladić was most probably in Serbia until 2005. "BIA was not monitoring him [Mladić]... According to our information which hasn’t been entirely confirmed, he was residing in Serbia until 2005," the director of the Security-Information Agency told Belgrade daily Danas. He said that the key to finding Mladić was "cooperation with the citizens. >>>

"Balaj was under Haradinaj’s command"
The Hague, August 30 (Source: B92)
The Haradinaj et al. trial continued at the Hague Tribunal this week with another witness testimony. The second accused in the trial of the three former KLA commanders, Idriz Balaj, a.k.a. Toger, and his special unit, the so-called Black Eagles, were subordinate to Ramush Haradinaj, who commanded the Dukagjin zone. This was evidence given Tuesday by a former officer of FARK –Armed Forces of the Republic of Kosovo. FARK were KLA’s rivals, loyal to Ibrahim Rugova and the government in exile. >>>

Gender equality handbook presented
Belgrade, August 29 (Source: B92)
Labor and Social Policy Minister Rasim Ljajić called for the urgent adoption of gender equality and anti-discrimination laws. On Monday, Ljajić and head of OSCE Mission to Serbia Hans Ola Urstad presented a guide book on the promotion of gender equality, titled “Implementation of Gender Equality and Equal Opportunity - From Idea to Practice,” the aim of which is to promote both the position of women and gender equality in general. >>>

Gov't publishes concession contract
Belgrade, August 28 (Source: B92)
The contract for concessions in the planned construction of the Horgoš-Požega highway will be made public today. According to B92's sources, the contract, along with 14 of the 19 of its annexes, will be published on the Serbian Government's website today, after an agreement for the unveiling of the document was reached between the government and concessioners FFC - Alpine. The remaining five annexes that will not be published are related in the financial part of the contract will be available at the government building.

Ruling parties clash over ambassadors?
Belgrade, August 27 (Source: B92)
100 days since the government was formed, Serbia is without ambassadors to ten European states. Even though it was almost certain the August 23 session of the government would see necessary appointments take place, Serbia still lacks a complete list of its ambassadors abroad. Media speculate about a disagreement among the parties of the ruling coalition concerning the candidates for the vacant posts. >>>

Prosecution objects to Gotovina’s release
The Hague, Zagreb, August 24 (Source: B92)
The Hague Prosecution has strongly objected to Croatian general Ante Gotovina’s motion for release pending trial. The Prosecution submitted a written statement to the trial chamber according to which the motion should be denied given that "Gotovina had been on the run for four years before being tracked down and arrested on the Canary Islands in December 2005." “There is no reason to believe that Gotovina, if given the chance, would not run away again.” >>>

Ruling coalition to agree on election rules
Belgrade, August 23 (Source: B92)
The government coalition still has not managed to agree on the date for the coming presidential and local elections. The Constitutional Law stipulates that the elections have to be called by the end of the year. With parties still haggling over the system to be applied to the ballot, the outcome is still unclear. The Democratic Party (DS) believes that the majority system should be used, while the Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) maintains that the proportional method best reflects the voters’ will. According to DS caucus chief Nada Kolundžija, the majority method adds to the degree of independence of elected representatives and deputies, as far as their relations with parties they belong to are concerned.>>>

Gov't marks 100 days in office
Belgrade, August 22 (Source: B92)
The Serbian government will mark its first one hundred days in office on Thursday, August 23. Thep parliament approved a new government on May 15, only half an hour ahead of a constitutional deadline, by the votes of 133 deputies of the ruling majority, consisting of the Democratic Party (DS), Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) - New Serbia (NS) coalition and G17 Plus. In his keynote address to the parliament that preceded lawmakers' vote on the new cabinet, Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica said that the parties to form the government had reached full agreement over five crucial program principles. These principles included policy towards the issue of Kosovo's future status, European integration, cooperation with the HagueTtribunal, social and economic policies and the fight against crime and corruption. “The government warns that a possible recognition of the province's independence can by no means be represented as an act of friendship towards Serbia because that is an act of the harshest interference in another country's internal affairs,” Koštunica said at the time.>>>

Šešelj rejects written testimonies
The Hague, August 21 (Source: B92)
Vojislav Šešelj has warned that he will not participate at his trial, if the prosecution submits testimonies in writing. At the same time, at a Hague tribunal status conference, where the Serb Radical Party (SRS) leader is accused of crimes against non-Serbs in Croatia, Vojvodina and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Šešelj said that he would be giving testimony in his own defense for "ten, fifteen, maybe even twenty days.">>>

12 years since Karadžić, Mladić indictments
The Hague, July 26 (Source: B92)
Carla Del Ponte is calling on Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro to locate and arrest the former Bosnian Serb leaders. In a statement read by her spokeswoman Olga Kavran in Wednesday, the Tribunal’s chief prosecutor reminded that today marked 12 years since the Hague Tribunal indicted General Ratko Mladić and Radovan Karadžić. The two Bosnian Serb military and political leaders are charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war, described as the worst crimes known to humanity and the worst crimes committed in Europe since World War II. “This is why, on this grim anniversary, I would like to take the opportunity to again call upon Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina—especially the entity of Republika Srpska—and Montenegro to do everything they can to locate and arrest Ratko Mladić, Radovan Karadžić and the remaining fugitives,” Del Ponte emphasized. She also called upon the international community, “all states who believe in the importance of international justice and the rule of law, to maintain and increase their crucial support. Without it, we would not be able to do our important work. Without it, there would be impunity.” Del Ponte said the fact Mladić and Karadžić are still able to evade justice was “simply unacceptable,” and added it cast a permanent shadow not only on the work of the Tribunal, but also on the international community as a whole.

Koštunica writes to UN regarding Hague
Belgrade, July 25 (Source: B92)
Vojislav Koštunica is asking the UN to allow Serbs convicted by the Hague Tribunal to serve their sentences in Serbia. The Serbian Prime Minister plans on asking for permission from the UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon for bringing convicted Serbian citizens back to Serbia to serve their prison terms, President of the National Council for Hague Cooperation Rasim Ljajić said. Ljajić told daily Večernje Novosti that in his letter to Ban-Ki Moon, Koštunica will show support for Hague Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte's initiative for Hague convicts to serve sentences in their countries of origin. “There is no question, if the three remaining fugitives are taken to The Hague, that the United Nations would decided to allow convicts to serve their sentence in the countries from which they came from,” Ljajić said, adding that he will be meeting with Tribunal President Fausto Pocar to discuss the issue in September.

Special prosecutor's mandate ends
The Hague, July 24 (Source: B92)
Only two of the seven ongoing trials continue this week at the Tribunal: those of Rasim Delić and Dragomir Milošević. In the proceedings against Delić, former commander of the Bosnian Army Main Staff, charged with the failure to prevent or punish the Mujahideen who committed crimes against the Croat and Serb civilians and prisoners of war in Central Bosnia, the prosecution announced it would be calling a protected witness this week.>>>

Special prosecutor's mandate ends
Belgrade, July 23 (Source: B92)
Special Prosecutor for Organized Crime Slobodan Radovanović's mandate ends today. According to law, the public prosecutor must either extend Radovanović's term or select a new prosecutor for the position. Special Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Tomo Zorić said last week that Radovanović would remain at his position. “Radovanović stated that he wants to continue the fight against organized crime and the work on cases which he began,” Zorić said. Public Prosecutor Slobodan Janković informed the Justice Ministry a year ago that he had fulfilled conditions for his retirement but that according to law, this must be confirmed by the parliament and a new public prosecutor must be selected. Since the parliament has yet to do so, Janković, by law, is still the public prosecutor and every decision he makes is both legal and legitimate.

Ex-Bosnian Serb minister acquitted of war crimes
The Hague, July 20 (Source: B92)
A protected prosecution witness stubbornly refused to say he will speak "the truth and nothing but the truth". After an hour of wrangling, the witness was asked whether he “will be testifying truthfully” and said he would. The Chamber declared itself satisfied with that. The evidence of protected prosecution witness, testifying under the pseudonym Witness 56, was delayed by an hour at the Hague Wednesday at the trial of Ramush Haradinaj, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj, because the witness refused to make the solemn declaration. >>>

Ex-Bosnian Serb minister acquitted of war crimes
Sarajevo, July 19 (Source: B92)
A Bosnian court acquitted Momčilo Mandić of war crimes and during the Bosnian war Wednesday. Mandić was acquitted by Bosnia's State Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity charges raised during a separate embezzlement trial last year. Mandić was sentenced in that case to nine years in prison for embezzling US$ 3.3mn from a bank after the war. >>>

"17,000 suspects of Srebrenica crimes"
Sarajevo, July 18 (Source: B92)
The deputy to the EU's special envoy to Bosnia says there are 17,000 people suspected of crimes committed in Srebrenica. “There are more than 17,000 names on the list we received from the Republic of Srpska Srebrenica Commission. Of that number, 814 are those who were earlier in the Republic of Srpska government,” Rafi Gregorian said, adding that several cases are incomplete because of missing data such as birth dates. He said that some of the cases will also be closed once investigations show that these persons are innocent. “There are also people on the list who were army cooks or wounded at the time when the crimes were committed and were not there. But there are also murderers on the list. We are focused on the commanding level, those who ordered the murders,” Gregorian told Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz. The “Srebrenica list” was put together over two years ago by the Commission, naming all those suspected of committing war crimes in Srebrenica in the summer of 1995, when over 8,000 Bosniaks were murdered.

"Authorities should fully appreciate NGO sector"
Belgrade, July 16 (Source: B92)
Sonja Liht says Serbian authorities do not fully appreciate the role of the nongovernmental sector. Sonja Liht, president of Belgrade-based Fund for Political Excellence, substantiated her claim with a fact that the law on nongovernmental organizations was still non-existent. She stressed that the adoption of the appropriate legislation to regulate the nonprofit and nongovernmental sector was the first test that would show whether the authorities recognized NGOs as an indispensable part of the social scene. >>>

Bosnian Serb arrested over Foča war crimes
Sarajevo, July 13 (Source: B92)
Rajko Vuković, suspected of having committed war crimes, has been arrested in the Foča area Wednesday. The arrest was conducted by members of the special task unit of Bosnian State Information and Protection Agency (SIPA). SIPA issued a press release regarding the arrest without revealing any details of the indictment against Vuković. He was handed over to the Bosnian Prosecution that issued the warrant for his arrest.

Prosecution looks to expand Zvornik case
Belgrade, July 12 (Source: B92)
War Crimes Prosecution has filed a request to investigate two more persons in connection with the Zvornik war crimes. A spokesman for the Belgrade-based prosecution told Beta the two are Kraljevo residents and are suspected of involvement in the 1992 war crimes committed in the Bosnian municipality during the war in that country. The suspects, one of which has been detained while the other is on the run, were members of the Zvronik territorial defense and are believed to have taken part in inhuman treatment of Muslim prisoners in the Ekonomija and Ciglana locations. >>>

Another mass grave found near Srebrenica
Belgrade, July 11 (Source: B92)
A poster reading “sects are the death of the Serbian nation” was plastered on the wall of the Belgrade Adventist Church. The poster was signed by the neo-Nazi “Nacionalni Stroj” organization. According to a statement from the church, the incident, in which several young men came on a motorcycle to plaster the poster, was caught on tape. The church is asking for an adequate reaction from the authorities. “We are calling on the Serbian Government, which wishes to take us into Europe, the Religion Ministry, the Internal Affairs Ministry and all other relevant authorities, to firstly secure a peaceful and safe life in which the indestructible spirit of tolerance, understanding and trust will rule,” states the church in a letter sent to the Serbian Government, various embassies, the Council of Europe and the media. The Adventists have been targeted several times over the last year in various Serbian cities by ultra-nationalists and neo-Nazi oriented groups, as have other smaller religious communities.

Another mass grave found near Srebrenica
The Hague, July 10 (Source: B92)
It is uncertain whether the trial date in the Gotovina et al. case will be set before the defense counsels are ready to proceed. The trial of the three Croatian generals charged with the crimes committed in the course and after 1995 Operation Storm “will probably not begin in the next half-year, and should take about 18 months,” pre-trial judge Bakone Moloto concluded after he heard arguments from the defense and prosecution on issues related to the start and length of the trial. >>>

Another mass grave found near Srebrenica
The Hague, July 06 (Source: B92)
Persons convicted by the Hague cannot serve their sentences in the home countries, Court President Fausto Pocar said. Pocar’s position, shared by the Court Secretariat, was relayed Thursday by the Tribunal’s spokesman Refik Hodžić. Hodžić also said that the convicted war criminals were exclusively sent to prisons in the European countries that the Hague Tribunal made special contracts with. >>>

Another mass grave found near Srebrenica
Belgrade, July 05 (Source: B92)
A team from the Bosnian Missing Persons Commission is exhuming a mass grave in Budak, near Srebrenica. The first human remains have been recovered at the site which is said to contain the bodies of Srebrenica victims, killed in July 1995. A week ago the remains of 48 persons were exhumed from another mass grave in the vicinity, at the Zeleni Jadar location. More than 500 bodies that have been identified will be buried in the Potočari memorial on July 11, the anniversery of the Srebrenica massacre. So far, around 2,500 victims have been laid to rest in Potočari. Former Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) chief, General Ratko Mladić, has been indicted for the crime by the Hague Tribunal, but remains at large.

Trial for Cyprus money laundering in September
Belgrade, July 04 (Source: B92)
The trial for money laundering actions which moved millions to Cyprus has been scheduled to begin September 5th. Attorney Predrag Milovančević told Danas that the trial will begin on September fifth, in the Belgrade District Court. The Special Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime issued indictments in March for the illegal transfer of funds to Cyprus. The indictment includes former director of the Yugoslav customs administration Mihalj Kertes, former Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Jovan Zebić, late Serbian and Yugoslav president Slobodan Milošević and former Yugoslav Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Šainović. The cases against Milošević and Zebić have been closed since both are deceased. The trial against Šainović will be separated from the rest because he is also indicted by the Hague Tribunal. The indictment states that the former state officials participated in financial activity that incurred damages near 120mn deutsche marks to the state. The money was used to finance public companies and the Socialist Party of Serbia.

Tolimir wants separate trial
The Hague, July 03 (Source: B92)
Zdravko Tolimir does not wish to be tried together with the seven other Bosnian Serb officers charged with the crimes in Srebrenica. Tolimir, former assistant for security and intelligence in the Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) Main Staff, about to undergo trial at the Hague on charges of genocide and other war crimes in Srebrenica and Žepa, is opposed to the prosecution’s motion to join his case with that of the seven other Bosnian Serb military and police officers charged with the same crimes. The process, dubbed the Srebrenica Seven, started almost a year ago. >>>

Trials for crimes against Serbs expected
Zagreb, Belgrade, July 02 (Source: B92)
The Croatian State Prosecutor’s Office is expected to begin investigations into 1995 war crimes. President of the Helsinki Council in Croatia, Žarko Puhovski, told the daily Građanski list that he is not sure who the investigation will be against, and whether the cases will be joined, but said that “they will definitely be carried out because the state prosecutor’s office has done its job.” >>>

Verdict sends message to hate mongers
Novi Sad, Jun 26 (Source: B92)
Attorney Vladimir Beljanski says that Monday's conviction of a member of a neo-Nazi group sends a clear message. Beljanski declared himself satisfied with the verdict passed by the Novi Sad Municipal Court. He is the lawyer of Dinko Gruhonjić, a journalist who sued neo-Nazi Goran Davidović for damages caused to his honor and integrity through libelous insults written in Davidović's book. Davidović, a member of a neo-Nazi group “Nacionalni Stroj”, will have to pay Gruhonjić RSD 500,000 (EUR 6,250) in damages. “I think that it is a clear message to all those spreading hate speach and the worst forms of intolerance, which cannot be acceptable in a democratic society, that they need to stop." "It is a message that warns them that if they do not respect the rights of others, the national rights and professional rights, of journalists or others, they will be punished,” Beljanski said. >>>

Verdict sends message to hate mongers
Novi Sad, Jun 26 (Source: B92)
Attorney Vladimir Beljanski says that Monday's conviction of a member of a neo-Nazi group sends a clear message. Beljanski declared himself satisfied with the verdict passed by the Novi Sad Municipal Court. He is the lawyer of Dinko Gruhonjić, a journalist who sued neo-Nazi Goran Davidović for damages caused to his honor and integrity through libelous insults written in Davidović's book. Davidović, a member of a neo-Nazi group “Nacionalni Stroj”, will have to pay Gruhonjić RSD 500,000 (EUR 6,250) in damages. “I think that it is a clear message to all those spreading hate speach and the worst forms of intolerance, which cannot be acceptable in a democratic society, that they need to stop." "It is a message that warns them that if they do not respect the rights of others, the national rights and professional rights, of journalists or others, they will be punished,” Beljanski said.

Human rights court rules against Serbia
Strasbourg, Jun 25 (Source: B92)
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against Serbia in the complaint brought by Marko Momčilović. Serbia will have to pay EUR 5,000 in damages for inefficiency of the Commercial Court in Leskovac, as the Strasbourg-based court ruled that Momčilović, owner of the EVT Company, was denied the right to a fair, efficient and timely trial. The EVT Company launched legal proceedings against the state with the Commercial Court six years ago demanding the allocation of EUR 75,000 in bankruptcy funds after the company had been declared insolvent. As the Court has to date failed to pass its ruling, Momčilović turned to the International Court of Human Rights (ICHR) in Strasbourg. The ICHR was created to systematize the hearing of human rights complaints against signatories to the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, adopted by the Council of Europe in 1950. This is the third time the Court has ruled against Serbia, however, it is the second ruling that obliges Serbia to pay compensation to the plaintiff.

Ovčara war crimes trial continues
Belgarde, Jun 22 (Source: B92)
The trial against those suspected of committing war crimes in Vukovar in 1991, continues in Belgrade today. Three witnesses will take the stand during today’s proceedings. The retrial is being conducted against 17 persons indicted for the alleged execution of 200 Croatian prisoners at the Ovčara farm. The first verdict was reversed by the Supreme Court and the process was restarted. Commader of the Vukovar Territorial Defense Miroljub Vujović, his deputy Stanko Vujanović, commander of the “Leva Supoderica” volunteer unit Milan Lančužanin and territorial army personnel Predrag Milojević, Predrag Dragović, Đorđe Šošić, Miroslav Đanković, Ivan Atanasijević and Saša Radak received 20 year jail sentences. Vujo Zlatar, Milan Vojinović and Jovica Perić were sentenced to 15 years in prison, while Predrag Madžarac was given a 12 year sentence. The only female among the indicted, Nada Kalaba, received a nine year sentence and Goran Mugoša was sentenced to five years. Indictees Marko Ljuboja and Slobodan Katić were freed of the charges of participating in executions that took place on November 20-21, 1991. All of the indictees pled not guilty to the war crimes charges at the restart of the trial on March 13, 2007.

Judge continues receiving threats
Belgrade, Jun 21 (Source: B92)
Judge Nata Mesarović said that she continues to receive threats, even after the verdict in the Zoran Đinđić murder trial. “I received threats during the trial, and I am receiving them now,” Mesarović said, speaking with daily Glas Javnosti about the trial. She said that “when a person accepts that they are working on a serious assignment, they cannot give up because certain individuals or groups start sending threats.” “Before the court chamber maDe its verdict, people were starting to talk about the stance of the Serbian Supreme Court. I see this as pressure from some spheres through the media and onto the Supreme Court,” Mesarović said. “The decision of that institution is respected and is not put into question or analyzed individually by any kind of expert. It is believed that what ever a country’s Supreme Court decides, that’s how it will be,” she said. Those indicted for the assassination of prime minister Zoran Đinđić were convicted on May 23 and sentenced to a combined 378 years in prison.

Hague: Đorđević delays plea
The Hague, Jun 20 (Source: B92)
Former Serbian Ministry of the Interior (MUP) General Vlastimir Đorđević appeared before the Hague Tribunal Tuesday. When Judge Fred Harthoff asked Đorđević to tell the court his address at the time of the arrest, he answered, “Belgrade, 39 Beogradski Bataljoni St.” “Considering that I do not yet have the issue of my permanent attorney solved, I have decided to delay entering my plea for 30 days,” Đorđević said. >>>

Trial of Ademi and Norac begins
Podgorica, The Hague Jun 19 (Source: B92)
Vlastimir Đorđević came to Montenegro from Moscow a week before he was arrested, Podgorica daily Vijesti reports. According to the article published this morning, Đorđević, former Serbian police general and Hague indictee, arrived with personal documentation issued to him in Serbia. The action of arresting Đorđević began with information that he had come to Budva from Moscow with fake personal identification given to him in Serbia, approximately seven days before his arrest, the daily stated, citing sources close to the action. >>>

Trial of Ademi and Norac begins
Zagreb, Jun 18 (Source: B92)
The war crimes trial of two retired Croatian generals, Ragim Ademi and Mirko Norac, begins in Croatia Monday. The two generals are accused of committing crimes in military actions taking place in the Medak Pocket in 1993. The indictment was prepared for over two years and is the first and only process that the Hague Tribunal has transferred to the Croatian judiciary. >>>

Ćuruvija murder case nearing end?
Belgrade, Jun 15 (Source: B92)
Daily Večernje Novosti writes that the case of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija’s murder is nearing its end. According to the daily, there will be charges pressed against those suspected of organizing and participating in the murder with in the next two weeks, citing a source close to the special prosecutor’s office. The source states that the pre-investigation and statements from former State Security officials are enough to make arrests and open investigations into all those alleged to have participated in the murder. The daily writes that all the participatants in the murder will probably not be arrested right away, because many are not residing in Serbia, and some have died since the murder. “What was said in the pre-investigation and what some of the former State Security officials said, some of whom were directly involved in following Ćuruvija, will be enough to warrant arrests and an investigation into those who participated. And that will be done,” the daily’s source states.

Del Ponte: Four fugitives in Serbia
The Hague, Jun 14 (Source: B92)
Chief Hague Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte reiterated that four out of five Hague fugitives were in Serbia or within its reach. Speaking at the seminary the Tribunal held for the representatives of embassies based in The Hague, Del Ponte reminded that Ratko Mladić, Radovan Karadžić, Vlastimir Đorđević, Goran Hadžić and Stojan Župljanin were still at large. “It is believed that all of them, barring one, are in Serbia or within its reach, if it made sincere effort to find them,” she said. Del Ponte claimed earlier that former police general Vlastimir Đorđević was hiding in Russia. She informed foreign diplomats stationed in The Hague about her visit last week to Serbia, stressing that the arrest and extradition of Bosnian Serb General Zdravko Tolimir constituted a “positive development.” “The level of Serbia’s cooperation with the ICTY is improving. I hope we will see new arrests soon,” Del Ponte concluded.

Croatia: Mass grave exhumation
Belgrade, Jun 13 (Source: B92)
During a seven-day exhumation, the remains of 105 victims, believed to be Serbs, were uncovered in the Croatian town of Petrinja. At least 20 women are among the victims, according to sources. Serbian Documentation and Information Centre Veritas stated that the remains were all of Serbs from Banija and Kordun, killed by Croatian forces in a 1995 offensive in a UN-protected zone. The exhumation, conducted by the Croatian government, will be continued. >>>

Milan Martić sentenced to 35 years
The Hague, Jun 12 (Source: B92)
Milan Martić was found guilty by the Hague Tribunal today and sentenced to 35 years in prison. Martić is accused of crimes against humanity, including the murder and torture of civilians, as well as displacing Croats from regional villages. Martić, a former police officer and the former president of the Republic of Serbian Krajina, was one of the most prominent officials of the RSK from 1991 to 1995. The prosecution claimed that Martić was a close associate of Slobodan Milošević and Radovan Karadžić in the project of ethnic cleansing in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The trial began on December 13, 2005 and finished on November 16, 2006. Martić turned himself o