New Duranty: BELGRADE, Serbia — The infamous fugitive, long charged with war crimes, was not in a distant monastery or a dark cave when caught at last, but living in Serbia’s capital. Nor was Radovan Karadzic lurking inconspicuously, but instead giving public lectures on alternative medicine before audiences of hundreds...
Mr. Karadzic, the Bosnian Serb president during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, went into hiding a year or so after being indicted by an international war crimes tribunal in July 1995, days after the Srebrenica massacre.
He was charged with genocide, persecutions and other crimes in connection with the killings of non-Serbs by forces under his command during and after attacks on towns throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The indictment states that his forces killed, tortured and raped some of the thousands of non-Serbs they funneled into camps set up by the Bosnian Serb authorities. In addition, he was charged with responsibility for the shelling and sniper shootings of civilians in Sarajevo during the 43-month siege of the city in which thousands were killed or wounded, including many women and children.
Belgrade remained largely peaceful on Tuesday, but there were ominous reminders of the nationalist violence of the past. The police, many in full riot gear, clashed with more than 100 nationalists who were chanting Mr. Karadzic’s name and throwing chairs from an outdoor cafe at Republic Square in the heart of downtown.
Though the police dispersed the group without too much difficulty, the action demonstrated the depth of feeling among many Serbs for Mr. Karadzic. His reputation at home, as a nationalist hero, is very different from his image abroad.
“It was a war, so he just defended our people,” said Ivan Sasic, 19, a member of the Radical Party and one of the leaders of its youth council. Though he said he favored peaceful demonstrations and did not take part in the melee on Tuesday, he also strongly opposed Mr. Karadzic’s extradition. “We feel sad,” Mr. Sasic said, “because we’re giving away a hero, a man who was a hero for us.”
Reuters: BELGRADE - Radovan Karadzic will conduct his own defence in the Hague tribunal and is convinced he will be cleared of the charges of genocide, relatives and associates of the war crimes suspect said on Wednesday...
He was one of three war crimes fugitives from the Yugoslav wars, their arrest a key condition for Serbia to move towards European Union membership. He is currently in a Belgrade prison awaiting extradition, which could come sometime this weekend.
Karadzic's lawyer in Serbia, Svetozar Vujacic, said his client was in good mental and physical condition. He was not talking to investigators, but "defending himself with silence."
"He is going to have a legal team in Serbia but will defend himself during his trial at The Hague," Vujacic told Reuters.
"He is convinced that with the help of God he will win."...
On Wednesday, he requested and got a haircut and shave.
"He looks like his old self, a bit aged," Vujacic said...
