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| Serbia to investigate Ratko Mladic's 'protectors' | Serbia to investigate Ratko Mladic's 'protectors' |
| (about 14 hours later) | |
| The investigation into ex-Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic will be extended to anyone thought to have helped him avoid arrest for 16 years, Serbian President Boris Tadic has said. | The investigation into ex-Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladic will be extended to anyone thought to have helped him avoid arrest for 16 years, Serbian President Boris Tadic has said. |
| Mr Tadic told the BBC anyone who protected him would be prosecuted. | Mr Tadic told the BBC anyone who protected him would be prosecuted. |
| Gen Mladic would be transferred to The Hague to be tried for war crimes, despite an extradition appeal by his lawyers, the president insisted. | Gen Mladic would be transferred to The Hague to be tried for war crimes, despite an extradition appeal by his lawyers, the president insisted. |
| Arrested on Thursday, he faces genocide charges over the 1992-95 Bosnian war. | Arrested on Thursday, he faces genocide charges over the 1992-95 Bosnian war. |
| Gen Mladic was declared fit to be extradited from Serbia to face trial, although his family and legal team say he is in poor health. | Gen Mladic was declared fit to be extradited from Serbia to face trial, although his family and legal team say he is in poor health. |
| He was indicted in 1995 over the killings about 7,500 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) men and boys that July at Srebrenica - the worst single atrocity in Europe since World War II - and other crimes. | He was indicted in 1995 over the killings about 7,500 Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) men and boys that July at Srebrenica - the worst single atrocity in Europe since World War II - and other crimes. |
| Relatives of Srebrenica victims welcomed the arrest as a relief. | Relatives of Srebrenica victims welcomed the arrest as a relief. |
| However, some residents of Serb areas of Bosnia expressed regret, and in Gen Mladic's former command post, Pale, about 2,000 people protested against the detention. | However, some residents of Serb areas of Bosnia expressed regret, and in Gen Mladic's former command post, Pale, about 2,000 people protested against the detention. |
| 'Many relatives' | 'Many relatives' |
| Ratko Mladic is in legal limbo. The judge here in Belgrade has approved his extradition to face trial in The Hague but it's likely to be delayed by a request from his family to have him admitted to hospital for urgent medical checks. | Ratko Mladic is in legal limbo. The judge here in Belgrade has approved his extradition to face trial in The Hague but it's likely to be delayed by a request from his family to have him admitted to hospital for urgent medical checks. |
| The son of the former Bosnian Serb commander says he may have had a stroke and needs an independent medical analysis, but Serbia's deputy war crimes prosecutor rubbished the claim, calling it an attempt to delay his extradition. | The son of the former Bosnian Serb commander says he may have had a stroke and needs an independent medical analysis, but Serbia's deputy war crimes prosecutor rubbished the claim, calling it an attempt to delay his extradition. |
| And so Ratko Mladic awaits a final decision later next week by the Ministry of Justice. The Serbian government is keen to see the back of a man charged with genocide and other war crimes, seeing his departure as the final act of the Mladic story and one which might finally allow Serbia to leave its troubled past behind. | And so Ratko Mladic awaits a final decision later next week by the Ministry of Justice. The Serbian government is keen to see the back of a man charged with genocide and other war crimes, seeing his departure as the final act of the Mladic story and one which might finally allow Serbia to leave its troubled past behind. |
| Mr Tadic said the investigations would look at any help given to Gen Mladic by members of the Serbian armed forces or police, adding that he had been able to count on the support of what he termed "some people in the state system" over the years. | Mr Tadic said the investigations would look at any help given to Gen Mladic by members of the Serbian armed forces or police, adding that he had been able to count on the support of what he termed "some people in the state system" over the years. |
| "In the next few days, we'll have a completed picture of what happened in the past two-and-a-half years, even more, in the past 16 years," he said. "And, for us, that is going to be very, very important." | "In the next few days, we'll have a completed picture of what happened in the past two-and-a-half years, even more, in the past 16 years," he said. "And, for us, that is going to be very, very important." |
| The president added that while Gen Mladic had initially enjoyed considerable support from some officials, this weakened after the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. | The president added that while Gen Mladic had initially enjoyed considerable support from some officials, this weakened after the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. |
| He said efforts to find the former army chief were stepped up when he himself took office in 2004, but were often frustrated by his extensive family. | He said efforts to find the former army chief were stepped up when he himself took office in 2004, but were often frustrated by his extensive family. |
| "He had many, many relatives, not only in Serbia but also in other regional countries - in Bosnia and Hercegovina, Macedonia and other countries," he said. | "He had many, many relatives, not only in Serbia but also in other regional countries - in Bosnia and Hercegovina, Macedonia and other countries," he said. |
| "That was making real difficulties in terms of investigating that case." | "That was making real difficulties in terms of investigating that case." |
| Joint trial? | Joint trial? |
| Earlier court spokeswoman Maja Kovacevic told reporters outside the court that Gen Mladic's health was good enough for him to be extradited to the tribunal. | Earlier court spokeswoman Maja Kovacevic told reporters outside the court that Gen Mladic's health was good enough for him to be extradited to the tribunal. |
| He had refused to accept a copy of the tribunal's indictment, she added. After this, the court ruled that the conditions for his transfer had been met and he was given until Monday to appeal. | He had refused to accept a copy of the tribunal's indictment, she added. After this, the court ruled that the conditions for his transfer had been met and he was given until Monday to appeal. |
| Defence lawyer Milos Saljic confirmed that an appeal would be submitted on Monday. The judge then has up to three days to consider it, though the BBC's Mark Lowen, in Belgrade, says the matter may be dealt with more quickly. | Defence lawyer Milos Saljic confirmed that an appeal would be submitted on Monday. The judge then has up to three days to consider it, though the BBC's Mark Lowen, in Belgrade, says the matter may be dealt with more quickly. |
| Gen Mladic's wife Bosiljka and their son Darko turned up at the court to visit him. Mr Saljic later said this was their first meeting with him in 10 years. | Gen Mladic's wife Bosiljka and their son Darko turned up at the court to visit him. Mr Saljic later said this was their first meeting with him in 10 years. |
| Darko told journalists his father was innocent and not in a fit state to be sent to The Hague. | Darko told journalists his father was innocent and not in a fit state to be sent to The Hague. |
| Meanwhile Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor at the UN International Criminal Tribunal to the former Yugoslavia, said he was considering putting Gen Mladic on trial together with former Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic. | Meanwhile Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor at the UN International Criminal Tribunal to the former Yugoslavia, said he was considering putting Gen Mladic on trial together with former Bosnian Serb political leader Radovan Karadzic. |
| Mr Karadzic was arrested three years ago and has been on trial since 2009. Any joint appearance would mean lengthy delays in his proceedings, correspondents say, as it could take months before Gen Mladic is ready to go to trial. | Mr Karadzic was arrested three years ago and has been on trial since 2009. Any joint appearance would mean lengthy delays in his proceedings, correspondents say, as it could take months before Gen Mladic is ready to go to trial. |
| Having lived freely in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, Gen Mladic is believed to have gone into hiding after the arrest of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in 2001. | Having lived freely in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, Gen Mladic is believed to have gone into hiding after the arrest of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in 2001. |
War in the former Yugoslavia 1991 - 1999The former Yugoslavia was a Socialist state created after German occupation in World War II and a bitter civil war. A federation of six republics, it brought together Serbs, Croats, Bosnian Muslims, Albanians, Slovenes and others under a comparatively relaxed communist regime. Tensions between these groups were successfully suppressed under the leadership of President Tito. After Tito's death in 1980, tensions re-emerged. Calls for more autonomy within Yugoslavia by nationalist groups led in 1991 to declarations of independence in Croatia and Slovenia. The Serb-dominated Yugoslav army lashed out, first in Slovenia and then in Croatia. Thousands were killed in the latter conflict which was paused in 1992 under a UN-monitored ceasefire. | War in the former Yugoslavia 1991 - 1999The former Yugoslavia was a Socialist state created after German occupation in World War II and a bitter civil war. A federation of six republics, it brought together Serbs, Croats, Bosnian Muslims, Albanians, Slovenes and others under a comparatively relaxed communist regime. Tensions between these groups were successfully suppressed under the leadership of President Tito. After Tito's death in 1980, tensions re-emerged. Calls for more autonomy within Yugoslavia by nationalist groups led in 1991 to declarations of independence in Croatia and Slovenia. The Serb-dominated Yugoslav army lashed out, first in Slovenia and then in Croatia. Thousands were killed in the latter conflict which was paused in 1992 under a UN-monitored ceasefire. Bosnia - with a complex mix of Serbs, Muslims and Croats - was next to try for independence. The Serbs, the largest community in Yugoslavia, resisted. Led by Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, they threatened bloodshed if Bosnia's Muslims and Croats - who outnumbered Serbs - broke away. Despite European blessing for the move in a 1992 referendum, war came fast. Yugoslav army units, withdrawn from Croatia and renamed the Bosnian Serb Army, carved out a huge swathe of Serb-dominated territory. Over a million Bosnian Muslims and Croats were driven from their homes in ethnic cleansing. Serbs suffered too. The capital Sarajevo was besieged and shelled. UN peacekeepers, brought in to quell the fighting, were seen as ineffective. International peace efforts failed to end the war, the UN was humiliated and over 100,000 died. The war ended in 1995 after NATO bombed the Bosnian Serbs and Muslim and Croat armies made gains on the ground. A US-brokered peace divided Bosnia into two self-governing entities, a Bosnian Serb republic and a Muslim-Croat federation lightly bound by a central government. In 1995 the Croatian army stormed areas in Croatia under Serb control prompting thousands to flee. Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia were all now independent. Macedonia had already gone. Montenegro left later. In 1999 Kosovo's ethnic Albanians fought Serbs in another brutal war to gain independence. Serbia ended the conflict beaten, battered and alone. BACK {current} of {total} NEXT |
| Serbia had been under intense international pressure to arrest Gen Mladic and send him to the Hague tribunal. | Serbia had been under intense international pressure to arrest Gen Mladic and send him to the Hague tribunal. |
| The government is now keen for a speedy extradition of Gen Mladic, whom Serb nationalists still regard as a hero, says our correspondent. | The government is now keen for a speedy extradition of Gen Mladic, whom Serb nationalists still regard as a hero, says our correspondent. |
| Gen Mladic was seized in the province of Vojvodina in the early hours of Thursday, reportedly as he went out into his garden for a pre-dawn walk. | Gen Mladic was seized in the province of Vojvodina in the early hours of Thursday, reportedly as he went out into his garden for a pre-dawn walk. |
| He had two guns with him, but put up no resistance, officials said. | He had two guns with him, but put up no resistance, officials said. |
| Serbian security sources told AFP news agency that three special units had descended on a house in the village of Lazarevo, about 80km (50 miles) north of Belgrade. | Serbian security sources told AFP news agency that three special units had descended on a house in the village of Lazarevo, about 80km (50 miles) north of Belgrade. |
| The single-storey house was owned by a relative of Gen Mladic and had been under surveillance for the past two weeks, one of the sources added. | The single-storey house was owned by a relative of Gen Mladic and had been under surveillance for the past two weeks, one of the sources added. |
| In the latest revelations, police officials told the Associated Press that Gen Mladic had moved to the village two years ago. They also said he immediately admitted his identity when found. | In the latest revelations, police officials told the Associated Press that Gen Mladic had moved to the village two years ago. They also said he immediately admitted his identity when found. |
| AP quoted officials as saying no-one would receive a reward for his arrest, because police were not acting on a tip-off when they arrested him. | AP quoted officials as saying no-one would receive a reward for his arrest, because police were not acting on a tip-off when they arrested him. |
| Are you in Serbia? What is your reaction to the arrest of Ratko Mladic? Should Serbia be allowed to join the EU? Send us your comments using the form below: | Are you in Serbia? What is your reaction to the arrest of Ratko Mladic? Should Serbia be allowed to join the EU? Send us your comments using the form below: |