Bosnian Serb Republic President Milorad Dodik said that he will not take part at a meeting today with the foreign ministers of Bulgaria, Slovenia and Austria, in Sarajevo, because of the statement of Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger that it is "unthinkable" for Austria to extradite to Serbia former B-H [Bosnia-Herzegovina] Army General Jovan Divjak.
In a written press statement, Dodik said that Spindelegger's statement represents the most open interference so far in issues that must be exclusively in the domain of judicial institutions. "Having in mind that this is a statement from a high-ranking official of Austria, whose judicial bodies should bring a decision on the extradition of Divjak on an arrest warrant issued by Serbia on war crimes charges, this statement has elements constituting pressure on the judiciary and giving open 'recommendations' on how to act," Dodik says.
According to Dodik, this is an insult for the families of the persons killed without cause in Dobrovoljacka Street, but also for all Serbs who have been waiting for 15 years for an objective and impartial approach to the prosecution of war crimes. Dodik said it is obvious that all international officials in Sarajevo have been trying these days to "cheer up" Sarajevo, so it is inevitable for this meeting to pass in a similar atmosphere.
"Minister Spindelegger even cancelled his participation in the meeting out of fear of 'unpleasantness' in Sarajevo, by which he clearly demonstrated a pattern in keeping with which foreigners are acting in B-H. I do not want to contribute to such a farce, and this is why I will not go to the said meeting," Dodik said.
He added that even if Austrian judicial bodies do not respond to Serbia's request for the extradition of Divjak, RS and its bodies will do everything to see Divjak brought to justice when his responsibility for war crimes committed in Dobrovoljacka Street in Sarajevo will be determined.
"Equal treatment of all victims of war crimes in B-H is a precondition for any talks. Those who still function on the basis of prejudice and demonstrate an obvious readiness to trample on principles in order not to anger political Sarajevo can hardly be considered competent to give any recommendations or advice to B-H," Dodik said.
According to him, after many years spent trying to ingratiate itself to Sarajevo, the IC should think about some other approach to problems in B-H and understand, for starters, that B-H is not Sarajevo, and the fact that 'Sarajevo does not want to give up her Jovo [Jovan Divjak]' cannot be higher than the principle of impartiality of the judiciary.
Spindelegger said that Austria considers it "unthinkable" to extradite to Serbia Jovan Divjak, arrested yesterday in Vienna on charges of war crimes against JNA soldiers in Dobrovoljacka Street in Sarajevo.
Divjak was a general in the former JNA, and later a general of the Muslim B-H Army. Serbia issued an indictment against him, as in the case of Ejup Ganic. These are arrest warrants for 19 persons from B-H wanted on charges of war crimes against JNA soldiers in Dobrovoljacka Street in Sarajevo of May 1992. On May 3, 1992, members of the so-called B-H Army killed in Dobrovoljacka Street in Sarajevo 42 JNA soldiers, wounded 73 and imprisoned 215. The RS Ministry of the Interior forwarded to the B-H Prosecution a report charging 15 persons for the war crimes in Dobrovoljacka Street.
Source: SRNA news agency, Bijeljina
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Free Jovan Divjak. He is a Hero to all Bosnians of all religions.. He fought for Bosnia and Sarajevo..thanks to him he saved hundreds civilians in Sarajevo muslims, and christians... those JNA soldiers were killed yes, but it was war, and during that time the serbs murdered 15 thousand Sarajevan civilians..same serb soldiers who were once with JNA who promised to defend Bosnia. Well Jovan Divjak your a Hero.. I was in Sarajevo 1993 doing a paper on war.. How could those people with guns kill civilians?? don't they have their own family? kids? wife? majority of the serbs that fought in the RS army are cowards.. they even killed their own people who decided to not leave Sarajevo and be with their muslim brothers.
Stop the hate, and discrimination just cause someones a christian or muslim. Honestly it only holds all of you back.. And for Bojans comment, quit your lying and trying to sound like their bad. Who murdered 2,000 kids in Sarajevo? huh???? who shelled Sarajevo for 900 days longest shelling in history. I am not saying its okay that they killed those soldiers but they were soldiers for a reason, and those same JNA soldiers who were suppose to defend Bosnia and Sarajevo..99% turned against their own people and country..so go make up your fair tale somewhere else Bojan.
I want to thank radio Netherlands for this objective article. Those soldiers were under the UN protected agreement retreating unarmed from Sarajevo. The deal was that the Serbs release Muslim president Izetbegovic, in exchange for the safe passage of those unarmed 19 year old soldiers who were surrounded by the Muslim forces. When the Serbs released Izetbegovic, the Muslims brutally slaughtered those unarmed teenagers. Nobody was ever held responsible for those attrocities, and that was the first big massacre in Sarajevo. Please don't forget that United Nations personally guaranteed this agreement.
Although the case against Divjak has already been dismissed by ICTY after a judicial investigation it may be important to put to rest the propaganda that RS squeezes out of the cries of 'justice denied' by launching an impartial inquiry. Given the information arising from the ICTY transcripts I doubt the RS will be endorsing such an investigation.
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