By Alexandra Halsey-Storch
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
THE HAUGE, Netherlands–On Wednesday, former Bosnian-Serb General Ratko Mladic’s long-awaited genocide trial began at the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal of Yugoslav. The commencement marks an international victory for human rights, which demonstrates that perpetrators will be held accountable for their wrongful acts and will be brought to justice.
Last May, Mladic , now 70 years old, was charged with 11 counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity that were committed during the 1992-1995 Bosnian war.
His indictment states, in part, that, “On 8 March 1995, Radovan KARADZIC, as the Supreme Commander of the VRS, issued Operational Directive 07, which directed the VRS to eliminate the Muslim enclaves of Srebrenica and Zepa, in furtherance of the “strategic objectives” of 12 May 1992. On 2 July 1995, Bosnian Serb Forces under the command and control of General Ratko MLADIC attacked the Srebrenica enclave. This attack on the enclave continued until 11 July 1995, when General Ratko MLADIC and the Bosnian Serb Forces entered Srebrenica. Subsequently, those Bosnian Serb Forces terrorized Bosnian Muslims, who were forcibly transferred to areas outside the enclave and many of whom fled in a huge column through the woods towards Tuzla. The majority of this group consisted of unarmed military personnel and civilians.”
The indictment further states that, between 12 July and about 20 July 1995, thousands of Bosnian Muslim men were captured by, or surrendered to, Bosnian Serb Forces under the command and control of General Ratko MLADIC. Over 7,000 Bosnian Muslim prisoners captured in the area around Srebrenica were summarily executed from 13 July to 19 July 1995. Killings continued thereafter. From about 1 August 1995 through about 1 November 1995, VRS units under the command and control of General Ratko MLADIC participated in an organized and comprehensive effort to conceal the killings and executions of the Bosnian Muslims of Srebrenica by reburying, in isolated locations, bodies exhumed from mass graves.
As stated by The Huffington Post, Prosecutor Dermot Groome told the three-judge panel on Wednesday that Mladic was chosen to lead the Bosnian Serb forces by Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic not only because of his skills as a military commander but also “because Karadzic believed he was willing to commit the crimes needed to achieve the strategic goals of the Bosnian Serb leadership.”
Also during Wednesday’s opening statements, Prosecutor Groome indicated that Mladic’s wartime diaries, radio intercepts and appearances he made on television during the war, would be used against him as evidence of his crimes. The Prosecutor will also use over 400 written witness statements, which have been used in other cases.
Despite the concrete evidence against him, Mladic maintains thathe did not partake in any crimes, instead iterating, “I have only defended my people.”
The first witness is to begin testifying on May 29, but Presiding Judge Alphons Orie may postpone the testimony because prosecutors have not disclosed all evidence to Mladic’s defense.
Should he be found guilty, Mladic faces life in prison.
For more information, please visit:
The Huffington Post—Ratko Mladic Ware Crimes Trial Starts—16 May 2012
AJC—War Crimes Charges Against Mladic—16 May 2012
NPR—Grim Reading: The Mladic Indictment: The Two-Way—26 May 2011
TIME—Ratko Mladic’s Indictment Contains Horrifying Details of Massacre—26 May 2011
