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A little bit of joy

Potjernica MKSJ

22 July 2008  While Bosnian victims welcome the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, they express hope that this will mark an end to a long and hard era.

According to police reports, no incidents have been recorded in Bosnia and Herzegovina, following the news of the arrest of ICTY indictee Radovan Karadzic.

Members of associations of war victims are delighted by the news about his arrest, adding that "justice has finally found its way through."

Radovan Karadzic was arrested in Belgrade on Monday, July 21, 2008. This was 13 years after the Hague Tribunal filed an indictment against him, for his role in the crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and issued a warrant.

"I am glad that the justice has found its way through all this, as we have been awaiting this moment for so long. It has eventually come. This should have happened earlier. I consider that you can do anything if you want to," says Esma Palic, the wife of Avdo Pali, former Bosnian Army Colonel, who disappeared in 1995.

The Hague Tribunal filed an initial indictment against Karadzic in 1995, after the genocide in Srebrenica in July 1995. The indictment was amended in November 1995 and May 2000.

Karadzic is charged with genocide, crime against humanity and violation of laws and practices of warfare, as well as severe violations of the Geneva Convention of 1949, committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina from July 1, 1991 to November 30, 1995.

At first, the associations of victims were in disbelief when they heard the news on the arrest of the top ICTY fugitive, because, as they said, they "could not believe that this would ever happen".

"There is some kind of a joy, but, on the other hand, when one thinks about what he did... However, we can say that this is a good thing and we can hardly wait to seeing him at The Hague. We hope that he will get the most sever punishment and never come out of jail again," says Nura Begic, one of the survivors of the Srebrenica genocide.

Alija Feriz of the Bosnian Association of Detainees from Velika Kladusa, says that he could not believe the news on his arrest, adding that "justice was partially fulfilled" by his arrest.

"I think that the arrest comes at the right time, in terms of the political situation, because we have all started to believe that he would never be arrested. I am pleasantly surprised to hear that he is alive, as he was the leader of the crime. His arrest will lead to the extension of the ICTY's mandate," says Edin Ramulic of the "Izvor" Association from Prijedor.

Radominka Duvnjak of the Association for Search for Missing Soldiers and Civilians from Vlasenica, did not want to comment on Karadzic's arrest. She did say, though, that, "as far as she knew", there were no incidents in this town.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska issued a statement, saying that the security situation in the entity was "stable" and "no incidents have been reported."

"It was raining and nothing happened. There was no disorder. The situation is the same today. The streets are deserted. Some people believe that this is realistic, because they have been looking for him for so many years and, all of a sudden, they have now arrested him," Mladen Kojic from Srebrenica said.