More than 20 years since the 44-month long siege of Sarajevo, the genocide in Srebrenica and the killing of more than 8.000 civilians, as well as numerous other crimes, the leader of the Serb Democrat Party (SDS) during the war in BiH Radovan Karadžić is to hear his verdict on March 24 for 11 counts of the indictment, two of which refer to genocide crimes. The Chief Prosecutor of the Hague Tribunal, Serge Brammertz, said that it is never too late for justice.
“There were many important trials and many important decisions in The Hague Tribunal, but the verdict for Karadžić is one of the most important details in the history of the Tribunal,” said Brammertz.
After Slobodan Milošević died during his trial in 2006, Karadžić will become the greatest political leader to whom a verdict will be imposed before The Hague Tribunal for crimes committed during the aggression on BiH from 1992 until 1995.
Radovan Karadžić was the most wanted fugitive in Europe, before he was arrested in July 2008 after 13 years in hiding.
Trial of Karadžić began in October 2009. There are 11 counts in the indictment, including charges for genocide in Srebrenica, which was the safe zone of the United Nations and where one of the biggest crimes in Europe after the Second World War was committed. There is also Karadžić’s direct responsibility for the siege of Sarajevo, the killing of more than 10.000 people, of which 1.500 were children.
In addition, Karadžić is also charged with accusations for persecution, extermination, killing, deportation, inhumane acts, terrorizing of civil population, illegal attacks on civilians and taking foreign hostages.
The closing arguments were heard in October 2014.
(Source: klix.ba)
