The democratic world is today relieved by the news on the arrest of
Radovan Karadzic, former Bosnian Serb wartime leader. Radovan Karadzic was the political leader of Bosnian Serb forces during the devastating war in 1990s. The troops under his command were responsible for numerous atrocities, including the massacre of over 8000 civilians in the town of Srebrenica and the four-year long siege of the capital city of Sarajevo - the longest and one of the most brutal sieges in the history of modern warfare.
Reacting to this news, president of LYMEC, Aloys Rigaut, stated: 'We are all relieved that this long-awaited news has finally arrived. We are relieved for Karadzic's victims that they will finally have a chance to see in court the man who has brought so much pain and misery to their families and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are also relieved for the people of Serbia that their government has finally decided to do what is needed to breakaway with the spirits of the past and work on achieving a brighter, European future for its people.' He concluded 'Let us now hope that the Serbian government will not pause again and wait for political rewards from the EU, but will end this story once and for all by arresting Ratko Mladic, the second most-wanted wartime fugitive. He and Karadzic were an inseparable duo during the war and should be so as well today in court.'
The presidency of the Youth of the Liberal Democratic Party of Serbia, LYMEC partner organisation, also reacted to the news with the following statement: 'This is an important step for Serbia, which will help her in the process of facing some of the most horrific crimes perpetrated in the name of a brutal and savage idea. The arrest and trail of Radovan Karadzic, which will hopefully soon be followed by that of Ratko Mladic, closes a chapter of Serbian history in which the system of Slobodan Milosevic managed to put a label on our citizens as of the Nazis of the 21st century. Karadzic in the Hague will bring satisfaction to his victims that justice is being done and it will also represent a large step towards reconciliation and the normalisation of relations between the counties of the former Yugoslavia. The Youth of the LDP welcomes this action of the Serbian government and sincerely hopes the the cooperation with the Hague tribunal will soon be finalised with the arrest of the remaining fugitives, which would allow Serbia to move with full speed towards integration into the European Union.'
