Yugoslavia: Del Ponte: Belgrade is shielding military commander Mladic

UNITED NATIONS (November 27)(27/11/2001) - The chief prosecutor at the Hague Tribunal has accused the Yugoslav authorities of "shielding" indicted Bosnian Serb wartime military commander Ratko Mladic. According to Reuters, cited by B92, Carla Del Ponte told the UN Security Council today that Mladic, indicted six years ago for the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, was living in Yugoslavia "under the official protection of the Yugoslav army." "As an officer of the Yugoslav army, General Mladic is said to enjoy military immunity, and he is being shielded from both national and international justice," the prosecutor said in a statement to the 15-nation council Del Ponte made clear the blame for Mladic's continued freedom lies with the federal authorities of Yugoslavia rather than those of its dominant republic of Serbia. "Instead of clear, unambiguous support to the government of Serbia, instead of taking a clear stand on cooperation with the tribunal," she claimed, "the federal authorities are doing everything possible to stop even limited cooperation by the republic authorities." She commended the Serbian authorities as being "most helpful."

//Shqiptarja.com

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• Ratko Mladiç