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Brammertz: Investigations pending for over 2,000 suspects in former Yugoslavia
๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ธ Serbia /Crime & Justice

Brammertz: Investigations pending for over 2,000 suspects in former Yugoslavia

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News From a news agency Context piece
  • Over 2,000 individuals suspected of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia have yet to be investigated by national judiciaries.
  • The chief prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Courts, Serge Brammertz, highlighted this issue at a UN Security Council session.
  • Brammertz also noted that Rwanda is still searching for over 1,000 suspects from the 1994 genocide, and warned against the ongoing denial and glorification of war crimes.

More than 2,000 individuals suspected of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia have not yet been subjected to investigations by national judiciaries, according to Serge Brammertz, the chief prosecutor of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Courts. Brammertz raised this concern during a session of the United Nations Security Council.

He stated that while national judiciaries have assumed primary responsibility for prosecuting war crimes following the closure of international tribunals, a substantial workload remains. "In the countries of the former Yugoslavia, more than 2,000 suspects are yet to be investigated," Brammertz reported while presenting his regular report to the UN Security Council on the Mechanism's work, which succeeded the international criminal tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.

In the countries of the former Yugoslavia, more than 2,000 suspects are yet to be investigated

โ€” Serge BrammertzThe chief prosecutor stated the number of uninvestigated war crime suspects in the former Yugoslavia during a UN Security Council session.

Brammertz also pointed out that Rwandan authorities continue to search for over 1,000 suspects linked to the 1994 genocide in that country. He emphasized that the success of national courts in prosecuting war crimes is heavily dependent on evidence, expertise, and support provided by his office. Currently, 254 individuals have been indicted by the international tribunals and the Mechanism, with 154 convicted, and no fugitives remain sought by these institutions.

Furthermore, Brammertz warned that the denial of war crimes and the glorification of those convicted of such crimes persist in societies affected by conflict. "Truth is needed today more than ever," he stated, adding that reconciliation is impossible without acknowledging and respecting the suffering of all victims, regardless of their ethnicity. He underscored the importance of preserving the Mechanism's archives and ensuring public access to documentation to honor victims' memories and educate future generations about the crimes committed.

Truth is needed today more than ever

โ€” Serge BrammertzBrammertz highlighted the importance of truth in achieving reconciliation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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