Serbia Hunts for Mladic - Factory Raid Turns Up Empty

by Dan Forrest
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Europe

BELGRADE, Serbia - An elite unit of Serbian police officers raided a factory in the western town of Valjevo on Monday as part of an ongoing manhunt to capture General Ratko Mladic.  A chief lieutenant of Radovan Karadzic during the Bosnia wars of the 1990's, Mladic is wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for war crimes and genocide occurring at Srebrenica in July, 1995. 

No one was arrested at the conclusion of the raid.  Although Mladic was not found, a source close to the investigation say that he was not the only person targeted.  That source revealed that the raid also targeted individuals that may be helping Mladic evade justice.  In this fashion, the raid may have been executed primarily for intelligence-gathering purposes. 

The owner of the factory, Vidoje Vujic, told police that he has never seen or met Mladic.  Nevertheless, police did find 13 photographs showing Vujic with other Hague fugitives.

Serge Brammertz, chief war crimes prosecutor for the ICTY at The Hague, will visit Serbia next week to evaluate its progress in the hunt for Mladic and Goran Hadzic.  Hadzic is also wanted by the ICTY for war crimes. 

Following the raid, Serbian President Boris Tadic reaffirmed his commitment to continue hunting for Mladic and Hadzic.  He told reporters that he is determined to capture these men if they are Serbia. 

Mladic's capture and delivery to the ICTY has been made a condition by the EU for Serbia's membership. 

For more information, please see:

Balkan Insight - Serbian Police Raid Factory, No Mladic - 10 November 2008

BBC - Serbs hunt Mladic in factory raid - 10 November 2008

International Herald Tribune - Serbia steps up efforts to find Mladic - 10 November 2008