ABSTRACT: In Emma Bonino's (1) opinion, all the events that make "visible" to the eyes of the public opinion the question of the Tribunal for war crimes in ex-Yugoslavia are important. There is widespread resistance against the establishment of this tribunal. In the former Yugoslavia, the Serbian and secessionist leaders of Bosnia have signed an "agreement" in Belgrade that denies jurisdictional right to the international tribunal on the war crimes committed in that region. Fortunately U.N. Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali agrees on the fact that no peace agreement containing clauses that refute the ad hoc tribunal can be considered valid.

(1994 - IL QUOTIDIANO RADICALE, 12 November 1993)

Any event making this tribunal visible to the eyes of the public opinion is an important step for the work of the public prosecutor and of the judges, says Emma Bonino commenting Boutros-Ghali's decision of inaugurating the Tribunal on November 17.

The Tribunal, in other words, should become a sort of point of no return, necessary to overcome the political and financial reluctance against the idea of doing justice to the victims of the crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia.

Obviously we realize that the decision in itself will not convince the warlords to present themselves spontaneously before the judges of The Hague. In fact, the resistance against the Court within the former Yugoslavia is increasing rather that diminishing. This is proven by the recent agreement between the Bosnian Serb Radivan Karadzic and the head of the Bosnian secessionists of Baja Luka, Fikret Abdic, signed in Belgrade under the auspices of president Slobodan Milosevic. The document indirectly refutes the authority of the international tribunal. Paragraph 7 reads that "Anyone who has violated the international war law must be submitted to penal proceedings before the courts of the republic of Bosnian Serbs and of the independent province of Western Bosnia". How to comment this? "Abdic is like Milosevic or Karadzic, like General Mladic, like all those who organized and directed the massacre in the former Yugoslavia", comments Emma Bonino. "The international community will need to have all defendants appe

ar before the court of The Hague". On behalf of the radical delegation Arieh Neier raised the question with Boutros Ghali. The radicals are specifically asking Thorvald Stoltemberg, one of the two international mediators who is actively engaged in the negotiations between Serbs and Croats on the destiny of Krajina, to make it very clear that none of the peace agreements that the warring parts may sign must contain clause that refute the authority of the ad hoc tribunal. Boutros Ghali welcomed the request.

Translator's notes

(1) BONINO EMMA. (Bra 1948). President of the Radical Party, former member of the European Parliament, as of 1976 member of the Italian Parliament. Among the promoters of the CISA (Information Centre on Sterilization and Abortion) and active militant in the campaign against clandestine abortion. She was tried and acquitted in Florence. Participated in the conduction, on a national and international scale, of the campaign on World Hunger. Among the founding members of "Food and Disarmament International", promoted the circulation of the Manifesto of Nobel Laureates.