Doctor pleads not guilty to genocide

Stakic: first Bosnian Serb to be handed over to Hague

THE HAGUE, the Netherlands -- A former mayor in Bosnia has pleaded not guilty to a charge of genocide at the beginning of his war crimes trial.

Milomir Stakic, who was mayor of Prijedor during the war but a doctor by training, is the first suspect to be handed over by Belgrade.

But chief war crimes prosecutor, Carla del Ponte repeated her impatience with Yugoslavia's lack of co-operation in handing over fugitives, most notably former president Slobodan Milosevic.

At the end of her three-day visit to Bosnia she threatened to write a formal complaint to the president of the tribunal if further arrests are not made.

She added that it was up to the United Nation's Security Council to decide on any sanctions for such failure to act, but any complaint from her could be passed on by the president.

"I spoke with the president about the situation and he is willing absolutely to present a formal complaint if there is not full co-operation soon," she said.

"I am not prepared to accept political excuses any more for any lack of co-operation.

"It is only when the work of the tribunal is successfully completed that there will be a realistic chance for lasting peace in the region."

She did admit that countries of the former Yugoslavia were improving in working with the tribunal -- despite the Bosnian Serb half of Croatia still being home to about 20 suspects.

Del Ponte also wanted the U.N.'s peacekeeping force in Bosnia, SFOR, to take more of an active role, despite having arrested 21 of the 51 indictees who have appeared before the tribunal's judges.

"I can and I will complain in a few months against SFOR if they are not doing arrests of fugitives," she said.

SFOR says its mandate restricts it to only making arrests if it comes across indictees.

'Not guilty'

Stakic appeared before The Hague court on Wednesday to plead not guilty to the charge of genocide.

He is alleged to have orchestrated the creation of brutal detention camps at Omarska, Keraterm and Trnopolje in 1992, where Muslims and Croats were allegedly killed, raped, tortured and beaten.

Stakic, 39, was arrested in Serbia last week by police and handed over to the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia.

He said he had been working as physiotherapist in Belgrade when he was arrested.

Prosecutors say Stakic was the most powerful member of the so-called Crisis Staff that masterminded the seizure of Prijedor in April 1992 and later set up the camps.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Serbs hand over war crimes suspect
March 23, 2001

International War Crimes Tribunal
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

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