Karadzic: Approval of Arrests and Examinations

Analysing the indictee’s role in the Bosnian Serbs armed forces, Reynaud Theunens, expert witness in military issues, said that Karadzic coordinated the use of Territorial Defence forces with the Yugoslav National Army, JNA.
 
“On November 30, 1992 Karadzic made a decision on establishment of the Supreme Command, as the highest management and commanding body of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS. It issued directives and instructions to the Main Headquarters of VRS,” the expert witness said.
 
Commenting on a document dated July 1995 in which Karadzic mentioned that he “agreed” with the continuation of activities with the aim of occupying Srebrenica, Theunens interpreted his words as an order. “The Army probably said that it could conquer Srebrenica and he gave his consent, which then became an order,” Theunens explained.
 
The indictment alleges that Karadzic, former President of the RS and the Serbian Democratic Party, SDS, is charged with genocide in Srebrenica and seven other Bosnian municipalities, as well as crimes against humanity and violation of the laws and customs of war.
 
According to the expert witness’s analysis, the SDS party played a key role in providing weapons and giving guidelines to municipalities on how to organise themselves.
 
“Karadzic called on municipalities to establish crisis committees, which were supposed to be subordinate to JNA… Even before May 1992, the JNA transferred ammunition to the parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina in which Serbs were the majority. Later on it became available to VRS,” Theunens said.
 
Speaking about paramilitary units, the expert witness quoted a letter written by Ratko Mladic, former Chief of the VRS Main Headquarters, whose trial for genocide and other crimes is due to begin before the Tribunal.
 
“In his letter to Karadzic and the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mladic mentioned that Arkan and his men were present in the zone of responsibility of the Second Krajina Corps and they were not subordinate to VRS. He says that Arkan received an official dispatch from Karadzic, authorising him to arrest, examine and detain everybody but delegates and MUP members,” Theunens said.
 
The Hague Tribunal charged Zeljko Raznatovic, known as Arkan, a former leader of the “Serbian Voluntary Guard” paramilitary unit, with committing murders and other crimes in Sanski most in 1995. Raznatovic was killed in Belgrade in 2000. He was never extradited to the Tribunal.
 
At the beginning of the cross-examination, Karadzic insisted on the expert witness explaining to him whether he was familiar with the original indictment against him in 2009, when he began preparing his report, and to what extent his conclusions influenced the changes introduced to the indictment.
 
Theunens said that he had read the indictment prior to commencing his work for The Hague Prosecution, adding that he did not use it as a base for his findings.
 
“I would like to determine whether the Prosecution is testifying for the Prosecution in this case. This is the fourth witness testifying this month who is employed with the Prosecution,” Karadzic said.
 
The cross-examination of the expert witness is due to continue on Wednesday, July 20.

M.T.