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Ratko Mladic arrested: Bosnia war crimes suspect held | Ratko Mladic arrested: Bosnia war crimes suspect held |
(40 minutes later) | |
Ratko Mladic, wanted by UN prosecutors for war crimes during the Bosnian civil war, has been arrested in Serbia after a decade in hiding. | Ratko Mladic, wanted by UN prosecutors for war crimes during the Bosnian civil war, has been arrested in Serbia after a decade in hiding. |
Serbian President Boris Tadic confirmed the arrest of the former Bosnian Serb army chief at a news conference. | Serbian President Boris Tadic confirmed the arrest of the former Bosnian Serb army chief at a news conference. |
Gen Mladic is accused of a key role in the massacre of at least 7,500 men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995. | Gen Mladic is accused of a key role in the massacre of at least 7,500 men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995. |
He was the most prominent Bosnian war crimes suspect at large since the arrest of Radovan Karadzic in 2008. | He was the most prominent Bosnian war crimes suspect at large since the arrest of Radovan Karadzic in 2008. |
President Tadic said work was under way to extradite Gen Mladic to the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague. | President Tadic said work was under way to extradite Gen Mladic to the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague. |
The detention, he said, had closed one chapter in Serbian history, bringing the country and the region closer to reconciliation. | The detention, he said, had closed one chapter in Serbian history, bringing the country and the region closer to reconciliation. |
It had also opened the doors to membership of the European Union, he added. | It had also opened the doors to membership of the European Union, he added. |
Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen hailed the arrest, saying it finally offered "a chance for justice to be done". | Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen hailed the arrest, saying it finally offered "a chance for justice to be done". |
In other reaction: | |
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Gen Mladic was said by Serbian media to have been arrested in Vojvodina, a northern province of Serbia, in the early hours of Thursday morning. | Gen Mladic was said by Serbian media to have been arrested in Vojvodina, a northern province of Serbia, in the early hours of Thursday morning. |
President Tadic would only confirm he had been arrested "on Serbian soil". | President Tadic would only confirm he had been arrested "on Serbian soil". |
He was reportedly using the assumed name Milorad Komodic. | He was reportedly using the assumed name Milorad Komodic. |
The Serbian president promised that details of the arrest would be released once an investigation had been completed. | |
Gen Mladic was indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague in 1995 for genocide over the killings that July at Srebrenica - the worst single atrocity in Europe since World War II - and other crimes. | Gen Mladic was indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague in 1995 for genocide over the killings that July at Srebrenica - the worst single atrocity in Europe since World War II - and other crimes. |
Having lived freely in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, he disappeared after the arrest of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in 2001. | Having lived freely in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, he disappeared after the arrest of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in 2001. |
Speculation mounted that Gen Mladic would soon be arrested when Mr Karadzic was captured in Belgrade in July 2008. | Speculation mounted that Gen Mladic would soon be arrested when Mr Karadzic was captured in Belgrade in July 2008. |
'Not a calculation' | |
Just before news of Thursday's arrest, UN war crimes chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz accused Serbia of failing to do enough to find Gen Mladic. | Just before news of Thursday's arrest, UN war crimes chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz accused Serbia of failing to do enough to find Gen Mladic. |
"The capture is the biggest obligation of Serbia," he said in a report sent to the UN Security Council. "Until now efforts by Serbia to detain fugitives have not been sufficient." | |
President Tadic rejected criticism that Serbia had only taken action following international pressure. | |
"It is crystal clear that we did not calculate when we had to arrest Ratko Mladic," he told the news conference on Thursday. | |
"We have been co-operating with the Hague Tribunal fully from the beginning of the mandate of this government." |