“The asset freeze announced by the EU today is another measure which will restrict the space in which those who are avoiding justice can operate. It underlines the EU’s support of the ICTY mandate,” said the High Representative, Paddy Ashdown today following the Council of the European Union’s Decision to freeze all the assets of 18 ICTY indictees.
This decision extends the list of persons subject to a freeze of assets beyond Ante Gotovina, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, which was taken on 11 October 2004, to eighteen other persons publicly indicted by the tribunal; Ljubomir Borovcanin, Goran Borovnica, Miroslav Bralo, Vlastimir Djordjevic, Goran Hadzic, Gojko Jankovic, Vladimir Lazarevic, Milan Lukic, Sredoje Lukic, Sreten Lukic, Dragomir Milosevic, Drago Nikolic, Vinko Pandurevic, Nebojsa Pavkovic, Vujadin Popovic, Savo Todovic, Dragan Zelenovic and Stojan Zupljanin. “This Decision underlines that we are no longer waiting but are attacking these criminal networks root and branch”, said the High Representative today.
The High Representative hopes that the BiH Institutions will, as earlier, declare their support for this joint action and without delay freeze the assets of the eighteen individuals named by the EU today. “The earlier declaration was an important signal for the EU of BiH’s intention to support the work of the ICTY and to meet its international obligations. But I am concerned that the respective institutions and authorities are yet to undertake any significant action to implement this commitment.”
“The European future of BiH depends on its willingness to co-operate with, support and uphold the ICTY. This country has a special interest in promoting these measures. The BiH authorities must take action to honor their said commitments. Not to do so would send a negative signal. It is absolutely essential for the BiH authorities to show they are serious about ICTY co-operation,” said the High Representative today.
On the 21 October the OHR welcomed the position taken by the authorities of BiH, in which they declared that they share the objectives of the Council of the EU and undertook to freeze the assets of the three most notorious individuals indicted of war crimes and yet remain at large; Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic and Ante Gotovina.