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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

No obstacles to conducting war crime trials before domestic courts

Belgrade, 2 April 2005

Serbian Minister of Justice Zoran Stojkovic said today that Serbia's legislation is harmonised with European regulations, that Serbia has a prosecutor's office and a department for war crime trials and that there are no obstacles to conducting trials for such crimes before domestic courts.

Zoran Stojkovic

Upon a visit to the Tanjug news agency, Stojkovic said that so far there have been no complaints concerning any violations of European standards in the protection of rights of participants in court proceedings.

The Minister added that according to estimates of international organisations, Serbia is successfully conducting the trial against perpetrators of a war crime that took place at the Ovcar farm near Vukovar in 1992 and therefore there is no reason not to continue with a single trial for all those who were accused of this crime.

The ministers of the Council of Europe held a meeting ten days ago and agreed that the OSCE should survey the situation in Serbia and decide whether Serbia is ready to conduct trials in line with European standards, Stojkovic said. If the OSCE brings a positive decision, this will confirm Serbia’s ability to take over cases from the Hague tribunal.

The Serbian authorities are looking for General Ratko Mladic in the territory of Serbia, said Stojkovic and added that there is no valid information concerning his whereabouts. He stressed that it is clear that Radovan Karadzic is not in Serbia.

He said that in the case of Ratko Mladic, Serbian authorities cooperate with Republika Srpska and added that the Hague tribunal is requesting the handover of five more Serbian citizens - Sreten Lukic, Nebojsa Pavkovic, Goran Hadzic, Zdravko Tolimir and Stojan Zupljanin.

Serbia will meet its obligations towards the Hague tribunal in a relatively short period because 8 million Serbian citizens cannot be the hostages of several men, Stojkovic said and added that he expects Pavkovic and Lukic to go to The Hague within a reasonable period of time.

Speaking about cooperation with UNMIK in Kosovo-Metohija, Stojkovic said that a high level of cooperation has been achieved with UNMIK's legal department with respect to the exchange of prisoners and evidence.