UN war crimes court judge says Serbia 'not cooperating'
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 10 February 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, UN war crimes court judge says Serbia 'not cooperating', 10 February 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/570cded18.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 10, 2016
A judge at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has accused Serbia of failing to cooperate with The Hague court.
Judge Alphons Orie on February 10 cited Serbian officials' failure in the last year to arrest three Serbians as proof that Belgrade was being uncooperative.
The ICTY issued arrest warrants in January 2015 for indicted war criminal Vojislav Seselj's lawyers, Petar Jojic and Vjerica Radeta, as well as for a wartime aide of Seselj's, Jovo Ostojic.
The three are charged with allegedly "having threatened, intimidated, offered bribes to, or otherwise interfered with two witnesses," in cases related to Seselj's long-running court case in which he is accused of crimes related to the ethnic cleansing of Croats and Bosniaks during the Bosnian war in the mid-1990s.
Judge Orie told Belgrade's legal representative, Sasa Obradovic, that "it is clear to the chamber that Serbia is not cooperating in this matter."
Serbian Justice Minister Nikola Selakovic said on February 10 that the government would send a protest note to the ICTY because of its "arrogant behavior" toward Obradovic.
Seselj was allowed to go back to Serbia last year to undergo cancer treatment and has since vowed not to return.
Based on reporting by AFP and Beta news agency
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
