Karadžic Arrest Hailed as a Triumph for Victims and for Justice
NEW YORK—The arrest of one of the world's most notorious fugitives, Radovan Karadžic, on genocide and other charges, is a milestone in international justice and signifies major if long overdue progress by Serbia, the Open Society Justice Initiative said today. But Serbia must still move quickly to arrest Karadžic's wartime ally, Ratko Mladic, to fully stake its claim in the new Europe.
"Karadžic's arrest is a historic event, which indicates a sea-change in Serbia's commitment to joining its neighbors as a full member of the European Union," said Robert O. Varenik, acting executive director of the Justice Initiative. "Serbia took a great leap forward but now must follow through with the immediate arrest of Mladic."
Karadžic and Mladic were indicted 13 years ago this week by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes for their roles as alleged architects of crimes committed during the Bosnian war in the 1990s. The charges were later amended to include the alleged role of both men in the Srebrenica massacre which occurred in July 1995, only days before the initial indictment was issued. More than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were slaughtered in one of the worst crimes in Europe since World War II, which both the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice have judged to constitute a genocide. With the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia set to shut down by 2011, time is running out to bring the men to justice.
"Catching Karadžic is certainly a great victory, but the long arm of the law must reach further," Varenik said. "Karadžic and Mladic were indicted 13 years ago this Thursday and we cannot let this anniversary pass without recalling Serbia's obligation to apprehend Mladic and bring him to justice before the [International Tribunal] shuts its doors."
A new Justice Initiative report released this month in Belgrade, Shrinking the Space for Denial: The Impact of the ICTY in Serbia, highlights how the thirteen-year failure to capture Karadžic and Mladic left many Bosniak victims with a sense of profound disillusionment about international justice. As a Bosniak woman quoted in the report observed, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has done "so many good things but they're in the shadow of Karadžic and Mladic."
"[The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia] has had a powerful impact not only on international justice but also on contemporary Serbian society," said Orentlicher. "The court's legacy is mixed—but its positive legacy grew exponentially with Karadzic's arrest, which signifies Serbia's determination to cast its future with Europe rather than remain mired in its nationalist past."