Bosnian citizens react to Karadzic trial

Citizens of Sarajevo and Banja Luka give their views on the trial in The Hague of Bosnian Serb wartime leader.

Radovan Karadzic

Bosnian Serb wartime leader Radovan Karadzic has told the United Nations’ Yugoslav war crimes court that no one thought there would be a genocide in Bosnia, which claimed 100,000 lives.

Appearing on the first day of his defence at The Hague on Tuesday, Karadzic is hoping to convince judges of his innocence in the bloody 1992-95 Bosnian conflict.

Karadzic, accused of some of the worst atrocities in Europe since World War Two, told judges he should be praised for promoting peace, not charged with war crimes, an assertion strongly denied by victims watching the trial.

Below, citizens of Sarajevo and Banja Luka give their views on Karadzic’s trial.

Feda Bicakcic, 28, lawyer (Sarajevo, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
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[Elvedin Kantardzic/Al Jazeera]

“I think he knows he will be held responsible for his actions, and that his comments, about how he should be awarded for what he has done, are the words of a desperate man.”

 

 

Naida Damadzic, 32, urban planning officer (Sarajevo, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

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[ Elvedin Kantardzic/Al Jazeera]

“I think that the process will be delayed as much as possible for him not to live long enough to be convicted.”

Zuhra Buturovic, accountant (Sarajevo, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina)

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[ Elvedin Kantardzic/Al Jazeera]

“I hope he lives long enough to be convicted, and that justice will be done, for the sake of peace.”

Zina Cordalija, housewife (Sarajevo, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina)
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[ Elvedin Kantardzic/Al Jazeera]

“No matter how big the sentence is, it’s not enough to compensate for the pain and suffering of the people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

Zelimir Tojagic, economist (Banja Luka, Republika Srpska) 

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“I think there are few witnesses who can confirm on his behalf that he is not a war criminal and that, as president, he did not do the things for which he is charged.

I don’t think he deserves to be accused. Or, then, all of them deserve it, Alija [Izetbegovic, the wartime president of Bosnia and Herzegovina] and all of those who participated in the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

 

  Sasa Miljanovic, lawyer ( Banja Luka, Republika Srpska) 
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[ Elvedin Kantardzic/Al Jazeera]

 

“I’m not following that case. This process is a political thing. I’m not that well informed.”

 

 

Source: Al Jazeera