-News for Wed. 17 April to Fri. 19
April 2002 Deadline Imminent for Yugoslav War Crimes Suspects'
Surrender
VOA
News 19
Apr 2002 14:56 UTC

Yugoslavia's deadline
for 23 indicted war crimes suspects to surrender expires Friday. On Wednesday,
Belgrade gave the suspects three days to turn themselves in or face
arrest.
Former Bosnian
Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his military chief General Ratko Mladic are on
the list, as is Serbia's current president, Milan Milutinovic.
Thursday, Chief
U.N. war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte held talks in Belgrade with Yugoslav
Justice Minister Savo Markovic to press for the transfer of suspects to The
Hague. Those talks focused on General Mladic, who is widely believed to be
living in or near Belgrade under military protection. Ms. del Ponte said it
would take a "political decision" to arrest General Mladic, though Belgrade
officials have consistently denied any knowledge of his
whereabouts.
Analysts do not
expect that many, if any, of the war crimes suspects will surrender. Under a
rewards program, the United States is offering up to $5 million to anyone who
has information on the whereabouts of Mr. Karadzic or General
Mladic.
Friday, Ms. del
Ponte is holding talks in Pristina with Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova and the
commander of the international peacekeeping force. The chief prosecutor said
the Hague tribunal is investigating three former members of the disbanded
Kosovo Liberation Army. She refused to name the three ethnic
Albanians.
Some information
for this report provided by AP and AFP.
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