UN Welcomes Historic Guilty Verdict against Radovan Karadzic

New York, 16 Jumadil Akhir 14337/26 March 2016 (MINA) – Calling today “historic” for the people of former Yugoslavia and for international criminal justice, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed support for the victims who suffered under former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, following his guilty verdict by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

Mr. Karadzic, who had been the President of the self-styled Bosnian Serb Republic, was convicted of genocide in the area of Srebrenica in 1995, of persecution, extermination, murder, deportation, inhumane acts (forcible transfer), terror, unlawful attacks on civilians and hostage-taking, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) quoted WAM as reporting.

In the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered in Europe’s worst mass murder since the Holocaust.

The ICTY acquitted Karadzic of the charge of genocide in other municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1992.

“Fugitives cannot outrun the international community’s collective resolve to make sure that they face justice according to the law,” Mr. Ban said through his spokesperson.

President of the ICTY, Judge O-Gon Kwon, said Karadzic was the only person in the Bosnian Serb leadership with the power to halt the genocide, but instead gave an order for prisoners to be transported from one location to another to be killed.

Following the announcement of the verdict, ICTY Prosecutor Serge Brammertz said, “For two decades now, the victims have put their trust in us to deliver [justice]. Thousands came here to tell their stories and courageously confront their tormentors. Today, with this conviction, that trust has been honoured. Justice has been done.” (T/R07/R01)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)