A combination photo shows Bosnian Serb wartime leader and indicted war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic (L) in an undated recent file photo and (R) attending a parliamentary session in the Republik of Srpska in Bosanski Samac February 13, 1995. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, July 22 (Xinhua) -- World opinion mixed on Tuesday after the arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.

    The Russian foreign ministry on Tuesday said that the arrest of Karadzic was "an internal matter" for Serbia, and the trial of Karadzic should be "impartial," accusing the UN war crimes tribunal of "an often biased approach."

    "We hope the inquiry and the trial... will be impartial. We underline this since the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has shown an often biased approach," the ministry said in a statement.

    The ministry also said that the ICTY should be curtailed, adding that countries of the region were "mature and able to investigate independently."

    Meanwhile, the U.S., the European Union (EU) and NATO have voiced their welcome.

    The U.S. congratulated the government of Serbia on the capturing of Karadzic, calling his arrest a "tribute" to the victims of atrocities there.

    "This operation is an important demonstration of the Serbian government's determination to honor its commitment to cooperate with the ICTY," according to a White House statement released on Monday.

A worker checks the new issue of the day's newspaper, featuring Radovan Kradzic on the front page, in Belgrade July 22, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said on Tuesday that the arrest showed Belgrade was cooperating fully with the U.N. war crimes court in The Hague.

    NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer urged Belgrade to ensure his swift extradition to The Hague and to step up pursuit of former Bosnian Serb military commander Ratko Mladic and other indicted war crime suspects.

    German Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Tuesday described Karadzic's arrest as a "milestone" in relations between Serbia and the EU, hoping that Karadzic would be handed over to the ICTY.

    Karadzic, 63, has been the leader of Bosnian Serbs during the 1992-1995 Bosnia War, and was indicted by the ICTY in 1995 of genocide during the war. The former Bosnian Serb leader was arrested on Monday night in a Belgrade suburb, 13 years after his indictment.

Skirmishes break out in Belgrade over Karadzic arrest 

    BELGRADE, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Skirmishes broke out Tuesday afternoon between the police and protesters against the arrest of the former Bosnia Serb leader Radovan Karadzic in the capital Belgrade.

    Protesters who gathered in downtown Belgrade chanted Karadzic's name and threw firecrackers and chairs at the police and started smashing nearby cafes, local media reported. Full story

Albania, Macedonia applaud arrest of Karadzic 

    TIRANA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- The governments of Albania and Macedonia applauded on Tuesday the arrest of Radovan Karadzic, former Bosnian Serb leader hunted by a tribunal in The Hague.

    "The arrest of one of the most brutal figures of Serbia's ultranationalism and the culprit responsible for the massive and systematic genocide in Bosnia, deserves our greetings," said a statement from Prime Minister Sali Berisha's office. Full story

Ministers: Arrest of Karadzic "a significant step" for Serbia-EU ties

    BRUSSELS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- EU foreign ministers said here on Tuesday that the arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic was "a significant step on Serbia's path towards the EU."

    "This development illustrates the commitment of the new government in Belgrade to contribute to peace and stability in the Balkans regions," the ministers said in a conclusion of their meeting. Full story

Bulgaria: Karadzic's arrest shows Serbian resolve for co-op 

    SOFIA, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian Foreign Ministry assesses the arrest of the former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic as a clear signal for the new Serbian government's resolve for efficient cooperation with the international community, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Dimiter Tsochev said in a statement on Tuesday.

    For Bulgaria, this is an important step towards the security in the region bringing neighboring Serbia closer to the European Union, the statement said. Full story

Serbia vows to arrest two other war crimes suspects after Karadzic

    BELGRADE, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Serbia vowed Tuesday to arrest the two remaining war crimes suspects if they do not give themselves up to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague following the arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.

    Serbian Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac said that the arrest of Karadzic shows that the new Serbian government is determined to honor its domestic and international legal obligations concerning the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Full story

Former Bosnian Serb leader Karadzic arrested in Serbia

    BELGRADE, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, a top war crimes suspect, was arrested on Monday night in Serbia, the office of Serbian President Boris Tadic said in a statement.

    "Karadzic was brought to the investigative judge of the War Crimes Court in Belgrade, in accordance with the law on cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)," said the statement, adding that the raid was conducted by the Serbian security forces. Full story

[1] [2] [3] [4]