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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Hague indictees will not be obstacle on Serbia's road to Europe

Belgrade, 18 March 2005

Serbian Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government and member of the Council for Cooperation with The Hague Tribunal Zoran Loncar said in an interview to Friday's edition of Vecernje Novosti daily that all indictees who are in Serbia will go to The Hague and that it is best do it in the form of voluntary surrender. The official website of the Serbian government brings excerpts from the interview:

Zoran Loncar

General Lukic and Pavkovic's surrender to The Hague:

- The government is decided on the fulfilling of its most important international obligation. The evaluation of the feasibility study is expected in late March and that is when the process of Serbia's integration to Europe will begin. Generals Pavkovic and Lukic will not be an obstacle to Serbia's cooperation with the court or to its integration into Europe. I have no reasons to doubt that they will turn themselves in. The government has always respected the law and the indictees must be aware of the fact that we will be obliged to apply the law if they do not surrender.

Advantages of voluntary surrender:

- Those who surrender themselves will have a milder treatment during the proceedings before the tribunal. If they surrender voluntary they will get all necessary state guarantees for pre-trial release. If the tribunal decides to transfer cases to domestic courts, the defendants who surrendered voluntarily will have greater chances that their cases be carried over to courts in Serbia. They will also make their defence easier because the state will help them in obtaining documents and relevant witnesses for proving they are innocent, if they believe so.

Criticisms for the alleged "glorification of indictees":

- It is natural to get criticisms from the opposition. Especially when there is conspicuous progress in the cooperation, which previous governments hadn't been able to achieve. Our model has given the best results: it saved national interests, honour and dignity of each defendant and their families. That is why we are very close to obtaining a favourable assessment of the feasibility study.

What do you think about stories that the state is buying indictees by giving them €500,000 to surrender?

- I heard that in the media and it sounds to me as an attempt to discredit our politics towards The Hague. I suppose that the indictees have confidence in this government, which was not the case with previous ones, because they believe that they will not be left to their own. Previously they were left in the lurch even when they surrendered voluntarily.

Do you take part in the negotiations with Lukic and Pavkovic?

- I don't, but I know that General Pavkovic has no contacts whatsoever with the Serbian government.

The case of Ratko Mladic:

- All our investigations have shown that Mladic is not in Serbia. We do not have any clue that he has been in Serbia during the mandate of this government.

How to prove that, especially to Tribunal's Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte?

- We will offer counter evidence to all their evidence that Mladic is in Serbia. There is no other way.

You accompany indictees to The Hague very often. How do you experience their personal dramas upon surrender?

- The strongest impression in the first year of my term of office are the moments before and during the flight with the indictees. I will probably remember that as long as I live.