The U.N. war crimes tribunal issued international arrest warrants Thursday for Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and his military chief, both of whom are charged with genocide.
The warrants, which authorize the arrests of Karadzic and Ratko Mladic if they cross any international borders, are an attempt to pressure authorities to take them into custody, court officials said.So far, the international community has been reluctant to track down the two men, who have refused to surrender and are believed to be in Bosnia, in their self-proclaimed Serb Republic of Srpska, or in neighboring Serbia.
The arrest warrants follow last week's hearing at the U.N. war crimes tribunal that focused on the two leaders' role in alleged Bosnian Serb atrocities against non-Serbs during the 44-month Bosnian war. Tribunal spokesman Christian Chartier said the warrants will be sent immediately to Interpol and all U.N. member states.
Both men have been indicted by the tribunal for genocide and crimes against humanity. They are accused of being the architects of virtually all major atrocities allegedly carried out by their forces, including the torture, rape and mass murder of Muslims.
Also Thursday, the World Court ruled that it has jurisdiction in Bosnia's genocide case against Serbia, clearing the way for a full-fledged hearing on whether Belgrade was the driving force behind the 44-month Bosnian war.
That ruling by the world's most prestigious judicial body was a major boost to the Bosnian government's attempt to link Serbian leaders to the war, which left an estimated 200,000 people dead or missing.
"We will have a chance to show that what happened in Bosnia . . . was not just an accident, it was not the act of a few men," said Muhamed Sacirbey, Bosnia's ambassador to the United Nations.
The ruling by the 15-judge panel marks the first time a nation has been charged with genocide before the U.N. court.
Bosnia says Belgrade violated the 1948 Paris Convention Against Genocide by initiating a genocide and war crimes campaign aimed at wiping out the population and culture of Bosnia's Muslim majority.
The claim also accuses Serbia of being the driving force behind Bosnian Serb troops who are accused of atrocities including the mass murder, torture and rape of non-Serbs.