Need to arrest indicted war criminals in former Yugoslavia

B4-0872 and 0887/96

Resolution on the need to arrest indicted war criminals in former Yugoslavia

The European Parliament,

- having regard to the Dayton Agreement, in particular Article IX thereof,

- having regard to its previous resolutions on the subject, in particular its resolution of 20 June 1996 on elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina,

A. noting that the elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina are scheduled to be held on 14 September 1996,

B. whereas the democratic process in Bosnia-Herzegovina cannot be carried out while indicted war criminals still hold positions of power and influence,

C. strengthened in its conviction after the recent hearings in the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague, which uncovered new evidence of war crimes through the testimony of those who had escaped the Srebrenica massacres and recent unearthing of mass graves,

1. Welcomes the continuation of the work of the War Crimes Tribunal which, among other things, has resulted in the issuing of international arrest warrants against the indicted war criminals Dr. Radovan Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic;

2. Stresses that the support that Karadzic and Mladic still enjoy should not deflect the parties to the Dayton Agreement from the decision to arrest, try and convict them;

3. Calls on the UN Security Council to extend the mandate of IFOR, so as to make it easier for IFOR soldiers to take an active part in arresting war criminals and bringing them before the International War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague;

4. Calls on the UN Security Council to instruct IFOR commanders to give priority to arrests of the indicted criminals facing the most serious charges;

5. Calls on the IFOR commanders to set up a credible and swift plan of action to arrest Karadzic and Mladic before 14 September 1996;

6. Bearing in mind the risks that such an action necessarily implies, calls on the EU, NATO and OSCE to give the IFOR operation immediate political and logistic support;

7. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States, the UN Security Council, IFOR Headquarters, the governments of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and the Yugoslav Federation, Carl Bildt, High Representative, and the President of the International War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague.