Hague – The UN Tribunal in the Hague, sentenced Dusko Tadic to 20 years imprisonment for the war crimes and crime against humanity committed in BiH. You did these crimes consciously and with sadistic brutality using knives, iron sticks, pistol grips and in one case putting a noose over the neck of a victim until she lost her consciousness, US judge Gabrielle McDonald, The Hague Court Council chairwoman said addressing Tadic.
2’30”
Sarajevo – Momcilo Krajisnik, BiH Presidency member condemned Tadic’s sentence saying that this is a political and not a moral sentence. We are embittered that better attention on the political base, has not been given to this trial. Goran Neskovic, RS Deputy Justice Minister, commented on Tadic’s sentence describing it as a propaganda against us (RS Serbs).
2’30”
As for clashes in RS, Biljana Plavsic, after a short meeting with Krajisnik rejected the hard-liners offer to reach a compromise. She said she would go ahead with the fight against corruption in the Government and with the establishing of a lawful state. However Krajisnik announced that Plavsic was ready to step down if the Constitutional Court rules that her decision to dismiss Parliament was unconstitutional.
1’30”
Int.org. Presser – Commenting on the events in Prijedor, Duncan Bullivant, OHR Spokesman said that these events had no connection with the constitutional crises in RS and reiterated the HRs standpoint relating to that, that the decision to dismiss Parliament is wise and constitutional. After the Sintra summit, we have some new available options, and we will be not afraid to use them, he warned.
The autopsy of Simo Drljaca’s body, carried out by an RS pathologist in the presence of 2 SFOR pathologists, showed that while defending themselves SFOR soldiers did not shoot Drljaca in the back or head, SFOR Spokesman Riley told the media. He added that 4 shots were fired at Drljaca after he wounded an SFOR soldier in the leg.
2’30”
Zvornik – An OSCE vehicle parked in front of the hotel Drina, where the representatives of the international organizations are accommodated, blew up due to an explosive device which had been placed underneath the vehicle. No casualties were noted.
0’30”
Sarajevo: Alija Izetbegovic, BiH Presidency Chairman received a delegation from Istanbul headed by Ali Mufit Gurtun, Deputy Mayor. The delegation informed Izetbegovic of the signing of the pre Protocol on the co-operation between Istanbul and Sarajevo. The delegation paid a visit to some institutions in the Sarajevo Canton.
0’30”
Sarajevo – Kresimir Zubak, member of the BiH Presidency, received Ambassador Gerd Wagner, newly appointed Principal Deputy HR, in an inauguration visit. The need for further work on the implementation of the Dayton Accord was pointed out as the only solution for the BiH situation. In this context, further activities of the HR in strengthening the peace process were emphasised as: the Donors Conference; support in building up the police forces in BiH Federation; and the help in the return of refugees.
1’30”
Strasbourg – The Srebrenica women delegation is paying a visit to the European Parliament where they will present their message and demands in relation to the Srebrenica holocaust. We seek the truth about our 10.000 missing in the Srebrenica exodus; we demand the EP support our request for exhumation of all mass and individual graves on RS territory; release all prisoners from the hidden prisons in RS which we declare still exist, as well as capture all war criminals and bring them to justice, their demand to the EP reads.
2’00”
Summary SRT TV News
In Banja Luka, talks continued today between President Plavsic and Momcilo Krajisnik, President from RS in the BiH Presidency. Krajisnik emphasised that the unity and the state are above any individual or group interest. He added that he will keep the door open for further compromises in solving the current constitutional crisis. Krajisnik said after the meeting with Plavsic that he suggested to her to withdraw the decision on dissolution of the Parliament. After that, he said, the initiative for her recall would be nullified. The meeting ended with Plavisic sticking to her previous stands. Krajisnik: “Our division made fruitful ground for our enemies. They are trying to find solutions for us. They are encouraged by this situation. That is why I asked Plavsic to think through our problems again, to take all proposals we made into consideration and conceive new ways that will end the crisis. I’m prepared to meet again. And since we have a common dream, I’m convinced that a new proposal, a new hope, will appear in the near future.” Biljana Plavsic said at the press conference that her goal was to create a state of law in which the Constitution and the state institutions would be respected.Plavsic: “Fifteen days ago we had a symposium here about the functioning of the legal state. If we continue this way, such goals will remain only a crying need. I’m taking up a risk. Let’s have everything rolling according to the Constitution, let’s have institutions solving the crisis, no matter how it will be solved, we will benefit from one thing. And that is if we abide to the law and the Constitution.”
Commenting on the sentence given to Dusko Tadic, President Plavsic said “it is horrible”. Krajisnik said that once again people are being prosecuted without clear evidence. She added that the decision is more of a politcal nature.
7 min
Speaker of the RS Assembly, Dragan Kalinic, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aleksa Buha, and Vice President of the SDS, Borivoj Sendic, held talks in Nova Topola with the representatives of the SDS municipal boards from Gradiska, Srbac, Laktasi, Celinci, Prnjavor and Kotor Varos. The main focus was on the current political situation. The meeting produced the following conclusions:
- the decision of President Plavsic to dissolve the Parliament is harmful for RS and each individual of RS
- confirmation of the unity of the SDS in carrying out the party’s program and it’s full implementation in solving current political problems
- welcoming the agreement between Plavsic and Krajisnik to respect the decision of the Constitutional Court
- calling for an extraordinary session of the SDS Main Board (proposed agenda: election activities and specification of the future relations with SFOR)
5 min
(note: Karadzic smiled down from the picture on the wall where the meeting was held)
VRS General Staff issued a public statement in which they assessed that SFOR action in Prijedor caused dissatisfaction among the people and the VRS. SFOR exceeded its mandate and authorisations given by the DPA, says the communiqué. Both persons chased down by SFOR were not sought for extradition to the Hague Tribunal through official RS authorities, so the question is being raised how can RS now co-operate with this Court. VRS General Staff also highlights the fact that all members of the VRS had been participating in the war and could be potential candidates on some hidden lists for arrests. Mutual respect should not be challenged, concluded the communiqué.
3 min
In Bijeljina, VRS Chief of Staff, Pero Colic met with Cordy Simpson, SFOR deputy commander. General Colic reminded him that the SFOR action only disturbed the relation between them. Colic warned that any future action like the one seen in Prijedor would mean that the DPA and the co-operation between the VRS and SFOR would cease to exist. The anchor commented that only time and good will would recuperate the trust.
3 min
Minister of Justice, Branko Petric said Tadic was sentenced at a political court. He made a connection between this trial, the murder of Drljaca and the arrest of Kovacevic. The only goal is to destabilise RS, said Petric.
1 min
RS in the world media:
Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yevgenij Primakov, reiterated today that Russia do not want to see further SFOR action in which suspected war criminals would be arrested. After the meeting with the British Foreign Affairs, Robert Cook, Primakov reminded journalists that Russia condemned SFOR action last week, calling it “cowboy attack”. Such actions, said Primakov, are counter-productive. Also, Russia had no knowledge of the preparations for such actions in RS.
NATO strategists are concluding that SFOR would face a too difficult task, impossible to carry out, if they would continue to arrest war criminals. This would discredit NATO, says the Dutch media. SFOR played a very active role in the past year, collecting information and conveying them to CIA.
3 min
The Centre for Public Security in Zvornik, started the investigation with regard to the explosion that took place yesterday in front of the Drina hotel. The OSCE vehicle was completely destroyed in the blast, but fortunately there were no casualties. The security situation in the region has worsened, assessed the Centre. They said that the reason for that are the latest SFOR actions which made the relation between people, VRS and the police on one side, and SFOR on the other, very tense. People living in the area were asked by the Col. Vasic not to make any contacts with the International forces, leaving that to the municipal officials.
2 min