WAR CRIMINALS AND DIPLOMACY
UNDER THE PROTECTION OF NON-EXISTENT RELATIONS
AIM SARAJEVO, November 26, 1999
As things stand now, Veselin Vlahovic, nicknamed Batko, whose name is linked to many war atrocities committed in the Sarajevo settlement of Grbavica, will for a long time to come remain out of the reach of the judicial authorities of the B&H Federation. Presently, this criminal is in the Montenegrin prison Spuz where he is serving a prison sentence for crimes he had committed on the territory of this Yugoslav republic.
Approximately a month ago, the B&H media carried the news about Veselin Vlahovic's "current address", i.e. that he is serving his prison sentence in Montenegro. Shortly after that representatives of the B&H Ministry for Civil Affairs and Communications reacted by announcing their intention to file an extradition request to the Yugoslav, i.e. Montenegrin authorities.
However, they encountered a problem - the local politicians could not manage "to find a way" of submitting the request because of a "trifle" that got in the way: B&H and FRY have no diplomatic relations. The United Nations intervened, more precisely their mission in B&H, headed by Jacques Paul Klein. Namely, this diplomat offered his services as a mediator in submitting the demand for Batko's extradition to the Yugoslav authorities. The B&H politicians soon agreed on this, although that is not characteristic of them. Marko Asanin, Valentin Coric and Nudzeim Recica signed an extradition demand and handed it over to the American diplomat.
But, soon after this, "cold water was poured" over their plan - the United Nation's official policy demands that they cooperate and communicate through official correspondence only with their member countries. Since Montenegro is not an independent state, and therefore not a UN member state, the demand for Veselin Vlahovic's extradition was handed over to the FRY Foreign Ministry. More specifically, it was first communicated from the Sarajevo UN Mission to the UN Mission in FRY which is located in Belgrade.
The Belgrade Mission informed its colleagues in Sarajevo that the extradition request was officially submitted to representatives of the Yugoslav Foreign Affairs Ministry on Monday, November 15. However, judging by statements of representatives of the UN Mission in B&H it remained rather unclear who will and when respond to the request. At the same time, as the B&H media wrote, the officials of the Yugoslav Foreign Affairs Ministry denied having received any demand. More specifically, an unnamed source from the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry Department for B&H Affairs denied any such demand being in this institution. In this he did not forget to mention that even if the demand existed, there would probably be nothing of extradition in view of the already mentioned fact that B&H and FRY have no diplomatic relations.
The following fact could be added as another proof that Batko will never set foot on the territory of the B&H Federation, at least not someone to be prosecuted and punished. Thanks to hard-core bureaucratic policy of the United Nations, the demand was sent to the wrong address. Everyone in the world knows full well that currently Serbia, i.e. the federal authorities, and Montenegro are not exactly on friendly terms. Although the official Belgrade regime still recognises Montenegro as a constituent part of FRY, the country is fully controlled by a clan headed by the Milosevic-Markovic couple and the influence of Montenegro has been reduced to the minimum. It is, therefore, hard to believe that the demand for Batko's extradition would be forwarder to Montenegrin authorities. Primarily because it would suit no one in Serbia to have Batko and the likes of him, who killed civilians during the war, tried.
Even if such a miracle happened, and Belgrade forwarded the B&H demand to the Podgorica authorities, possibilities for extradition would still be slim. Namely, the Montenegrin laws do not allow extradition of their nationals and Batko, with his Yugoslav passport and Montenegro as registered place of residence, falls into this category.
Nevertheless, despite such laws, if Montenegrin authorities were to receive this demand the chances for his extradition would be greater if it were discussed in Belgrade. Incidentally, the judicial authorities of the B&H Federation have convicted Veselin Vlahovic-Batko for serious violation of humanitarian law and crimes he had committed. According to local authorities, but also numerous witnesses, during the war in B&H, in the Sarajevo settlement of Grbavica he either killed with his own hand or participated in the killing of over 50 persons (exclusively civilians) who were not of Serbian nationality. According to testimonies, children under age were also among his victims. Batko is suspected of having committed not only murders, but also rape and other forms of torture. The Hague Tribunal for War Crimes Committed on the Territory of Former Yugoslavia has confirmed these accusations of the Federal judicial authorities and found them to be founded.
As far as the demand for his extradition is concerned, there finally remains a question whether local authorities, i.e. officials of the Ministry for Civil Affairs and Communications have at all anticipated such turn of events, and if they have, have they informed on time the UN Mission in B&H and Jacques Klein of that. If not, there is a possibility for the whole problem with Batko's extradition to federal institutions to turn into yet another farce which would be additional offence and humiliation to the survived victims, i.e. families of people who fell victim to Veselin Vlahovic-Batko and the likes of him.
Saira PRSES
(AIM, Sarajevo)
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