Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Rosemary A. DiCarlo today said the arrest of Serbian war crime suspect Ratko Mladic is a milestone in the path to justice and reconciliation.
At an open Security Council debate on the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, Ms. DiCarlo commended the Government of Serbia for apprehending Mladic. She also welcomed President Tadic’s statement about his country’s commitment to apprehending the final ICTY fugitive, Goran Hadzic.
“Mladic’s capture means that he will now have to answer to victims for his alleged crimes, including the genocide at Srebenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995.”-Ms. DiCarlo
According to Ms. DiCarlo, Mladic’s capture puts perpetrators of mass atrocities on notice. She said he will be held accountable for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. She aid the international community expect all UN member states to take the steps necessary to bring to justice those indicted by the Tribunals.
“Mr. President, we welcome the steady progress the Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda have made to increase their efficiency. We urge both Tribunals to strive to complete their work at the earliest possible date.”-Ms. DiCarlo
She said the world is mindful of the importance of doing so without sacrificing the high standards of a fair trial. She urged the Presidents and the judges who act as managers of the courtrooms to take every measure to ensure that trials and appeals are both expeditious and fair.
Ms. DiCarlo said the Tribunals and their predecessors have had genuine historical impact. She said the establishment last December of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals demonstrated that war-crimes fugitives cannot escape justice.
