Karadzic Captured in Serbia: Faces War Crimes and Genocide Charges

Radovan Karadzic was recently arrested in Belgrade, thirteen years after being indicted by the UN War Crimes Tribunal at the Hague. He faces "eleven counts of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other atrocities". These charges were made over Karadzic's alleged involvement in the killing of 12,000 civilians in the seige of Sarajevo and the massacre of over 7,500 Bosnian Muslims and Croats. While he is being held now in a special war crimes court in Serbia, he is to be transferred to the UN War Crimes Court in the Hague.

So what does this mean for Serbia and the nations and people of former Yugoslavia?

For Serbia, Karadzic's arrest is part a process towards gaining EU membership. France now holds the rotating presidency of the EU, and French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner, has already said that a major obstacle has been lifted. In a country with 18.8% unemployment and only $10,400 GDP per capita, EU membership would provide much needed economic benefits. It also casts a positive light over a country recently marred in its world image by the declaration of independence in Kosovo.

For Bosnians and Serbs, it is a step towards reconciliation. Haris Silajdzic, Chairman of the Bosnian Presidency, said of the arrest, "I am glad that this will now open the way for better co-operation and improvement in this part of the world." There are still Serbian extremists who see Karadzic as a national hero and promise backlash.

For international justice as a whole, this is great news. International courts have faced major difficulties in getting results from their actions. Recently the International Criminal Court released arrest warrants for high up members of the Sudanese government, but the Sudanese have simply ignored them. Having a major war criminal charged with genocide brought to the Hague is a major step. Karadzic himself refuses to recognize the legitimacy of the Hague, telling the Times in 1996, "If The Hague was a real juridical body I would be ready to go there to testify or do so on television, but it is a political body that has been created to blame the Serbs." As the Serbian government sends him to the Netherlands, though, Karadzic will have to cope with the fact the the court he will face is very real, and so are their charges.

Serge Brammertz, head prosecutor for the UN War Crimes Tribunal, expressed optimism for the implications of Karadzic's arrest. "It is also an important day for international justice because it clearly demonstrates that nobody is beyond the reach of the law and that sooner or later all fugitives will be brought to justice."