Russia wants Hague tribunal closed over Bosnian Muslim acquittal

Russia is demanding the closure of the UN war crimes tribunal in the Hague over the “biased” acquittal of Bosnian Muslim Naser Oric, the Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia last Thursday overturned a conviction against Oric, 41, a former commander of Bosnian Muslim forces, who had been found guilty in 2006 of failing to prevent the murder and torture of Bosnian Serbs in 1992-1993.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko told reporters: “this verdict is yet another proof of the lack of impartiality in the work of the tribunal, a demonstration of a prejudiced attitude to some of the accused and a lenient attitude to other participants in the conflict in the former Yugoslavia.”

“The tribunal’s decision merely confirms the need to swiftly implement the agreed strategy for shutting down its work,” he said.

The Hague court ruled that despite ample proof that war crimes against Serbs were committed, the individual case against Oric, considered a hero by many Bosnian Muslims for defending the town of Srebrenica and the surrounding area, lacked evidence.

Bosnian Serbs say that forces led by Oric killed more than 3,000 Serbs in the 1992-1995 Bosnian War, during which Serb forces massacred around 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica.

Russia’s view reflects that of its ally Serbia, which last week condemned the ruling on Oric, saying it damaged the tribunal’s credibility.

Moskou hamert op sluiting Joegoslavië-Tribunaal

Rusland wil dat het vijftien jaar oude Joegoslavië-Tribunaal inderdaad in 2010 zijn deuren sluit. Het Russische ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken beklemtoonde donderdag in een verklaring dat het tribunaal altijd al partijdig is geweest en dat het beter eerder dan later dicht moet.

In de ogen van onder anderen Russen en Serviërs is de door westerse mogendheden gesteunde instelling anti-Servisch. De bevindingen van dit hof zouden voornamelijk moeten dienen als een rechtvaardiging van de fel anti-Joegoslavische en anti-Servische politiek van westerse mogendheden in de jaren negentig.

Als voorbeeld bracht het Russische ministerie de vrijspraak in hoger beroep deze maand van de Bosnische moslim Naser Oric naar voren.