Mark Harmon, a former prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), has passed away after a long illness in Connecticut, according to victims’ associations.
Harmon dedicated 17 years of his life to the investigations and trials of the tribunal. He was the one who drafted the first indictments against Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic.
Following Mark Harmon’s death, the Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide, the Association “Movement of Mothers of Srebrenica and Zepa Enclaves,” the Association “Women of Podrinje,” the Association “Mothers of Srebrenica,” and the Association “Women of Srebrenica” extended their condolences to the Harmon family and representatives of the Residual Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals.
“Mark Harmon left an indelible mark in proving the committed genocide and other crimes in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). He led nine cases that resulted in convictions or guilty pleas. He drafted the first indictment for genocide against Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic. He was the prosecutor who first proved the genocide in Srebrenica, laying the groundwork for other proceedings against those responsible for Srebrenica. As a prosecutor, he was the first to prove the international conflict – the aggression of the Republic of Croatia – in the case against a commander of the Croatian Defense Council (HVO), and he laid the foundation for proving the Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE) in BiH in the judgment against Krajisnik. He sentenced Momcilo Perisic to 27 years in prison, after which the United Nations (UN) bureaucracy ruthlessly sent him into retirement. Harmon elicited many guilty pleas, without which the truth would not have been complete. He was our friend and a prosecutor with a soul and great respect for the victims. He never gave up and did his job calmly and professionally. We trusted him, and most importantly, he believed not only in us but also in justice, and he believed that we would achieve it,” the associations stated.
As they further noted, quiet and modest by nature, like most prosecutors and members of the Hague prosecution, he always found time for them, even after retirement.
“That is why we will always affirm and cherish the memory of Harmon, as well as the great number of honorable and capable prosecutors, judges, and investigators from the Hague court. We will pass this on as a legacy to our children and future generations. Individuals like Mark Harmon, who shaped both the history and future of BiH, deserve respect and the highest honors. We hope that BiH will remember our heroes of the Hague Tribunal, include their work in the social life of BiH and acknowledge the heroes who sent Karadzic, Mladic, and others to life sentences and lengthy prison terms,” they said, Remember.ba writes.
E.Dz.
