Byzantine Blog

Like an Athonite Monk

Belgrade daily Vecernje novosti reports that Radovan Karadzic, a faithful Orthodox Christian, is fasting for the sixth day, emphasizing this is no "hunger strike" and that Dr. Karadzic's physical and mental health are impeccable.

According to the daily, even though he can get almost anything he requests while in custody, Karadzic had asked only for the Bible, books and icons. His brother Luka brought these from the New Belgrade apartment, where Karadzic lived before being kidnapped. Now, the icons of Christ Pantocrator, St. Archangel Michael and St. Sava are gracing the custody cell wall of Belgrade Special Court. Karadzic's icon of the Most Holy Theotokos was the only one that was not allowed in, because of its glass encasement.

Dr. Karadzic's brother also brought the latest photos of his family members and grandchildren. This was the first time Radovan Karadzic had seen the faces of three of his grandchildren -- the photo of the eldest, fourth, stood on a bookshelf of Karadzic's Belgrade apartment. He also had three suits in his closet, and Luka Karadzic had brought those too. Karadzic will probably wear one of them on his way to the Hague.

According to the reports, Dr. Karadzic is spending time in custody like an Athonite monk, reading the Bible and St. Bishop Nikolaj of Zicha. He asks for nothing. He drinks only plain water and eats bread alone. He has refused all offers to have anything brought to him from the outside world, saying he doesn't need anything. According to his brother and those Dr. Karadzic was in contact with during the past 13 years, this is the kind of life he had been leading and is accustomed to.

Serious Breach of Law, Seeking War Crimes Prosecutor's Resignation

Svetozar Vujacic, Karadzic's lawyer, said his 63-year-old client is in exceptional mental and physical health.

"The past 13 years have left no trace on Radovan. Behind the shaved beard and the long hair tied back, the same face of the former President of Republic of Srpska resurfaced. He looks exactly the same, only a bit thinner. He asked me to appeal to the authorities to end the harassment of his wife and children, his family and friends," Vujacic said.

He resolutely denied the sensation-hungry media gossip that Karadzic was hiding his identity after the arrest and allegations that he admitted who he was only after the "DNA analysis".

"To the very first question of the investigative judge, at 1a.m. on Tuesday, whether he was Radovan Karadzic, he responded positively", Vujacic said, explaining that Karadzic "lived under the alias Dragan Dabic during the past five years, he was practicing alternative medicine and worked part time as an adviser to the private medical clinics. He supported himself in this way and was paying his rent. The stories about Dr. Karadzic having private security are all false".

Karadzic's lawyer once again stressed that former president of Republic of Srpska was arrested on Friday -- and not late Monday evening as the officials claim. He said that five eyewitnesses who were on the same bus No. 73 when Dr. Karadzic was apprehended came forward and are willing to testify. The identity of three bus passengers who witnessed the arrest on Friday evening is known to the lawyer, while the other two witnesses wished to remain anonymous, out of fear for their safety.

Vujacic charges that Karadzic was kidnapped and kept illegally in custody for three days, without the knowledge and approval of the investigative judge. Due to this fact, Karadzic had requested that his lawyer brings charges against the unknown men who kidnapped him on July 18 and kept him illegally detained. Vujacic added that "someone will have to explain why they lied to both the international and Serbian public about the date Karadzic was arrested", assessing that the war crimes prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic ought to submit his resignation over such a serious breach of law.

Karadzic will Defend Himself

According to his lawyer, Dr. Karadzic knows the content of the Hague indictment, charging him with genocide and war crimes, which was officially served to him on July 22.

"Those three indictments pertain to the most grievous crimes one can think of, as if he murdered half of the world population," Vujacic said, adding that Dr. Karadzic has been following the mock-trials in the Hague to late Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and the leader of Serbian Radical Party, Dr. Vojislav Seselj.

Yesterday, Karadzic was also visited by his brothers Luka and Ivan, by his sister and two of her children. Visibly shaken, Ivan didn't want to give statements to the press, saying he and Radovan talked about the family and the events that took place during the past 13 years.

"Radovan is well, thank God", said Luka Karadzic, "He is healthy and calm. Other than that, I have nothing more to tell you. Nothing new has happened since the day before".

Vecernje Novosti reporter writes that Luka "did not want to go into details over his conversation with Radovan, saying he has a lot of family obligations to take care of". He confirmed Dr Karadzic has decided to defend himself before the Hague tribunal and said that Radovan hasn't discussed details of his defense with anyone.

Radovan Karadzic is Perfectly Healthy, Calm and Composed

Glas Javnosti reports that the investigative judge Milan Dilparic, the first official who talked to Dr. Karadzic late Monday night, when he was brought to him for hearing at 1 a.m, thought former president of Bosnian Serb republic was calm and respectful.

That night, during the hearing that lasted hour and a half, Dr. Karadzic informed the judge he was not arrested on July 21 around 10 p.m, as the official story goes, but at 9:30 p.m. on July 18, on a city bus No. 73.

"Karadzic was cooperative during the hearing. He was not afraid. He was calm and composed, and fully cooperated with the investigative officials. He wasn't presenting his defense regarding the charges by the Hague at the time, because that is not the part of procedure", Glas source from Belgrade Special Court revealed.

The employees of the Special Court, where Radovan Karadzic is held in custody, say that Bosnian Serb leader is a true gentleman.

"He is a decent man, a highly educated scholar with a soaring intelligence, and not some quasi-intellectual", Special Court official said.

He decisively denied malicious claims by the Bosnian Muslim daily Dnevni avaz, which reported that Karadzic "had asked for antidepressant pills in prison".

"That is an absolute lie. We are checking his health every morning in the custodial unit and the investigative judge comes to receive report by the head of the custodial unit about Radovan Karadzic's condition. Such allegations are complete fabrications: Karadzic is perfectly healthy, both physically and mentally, and he sleeps well", Glas source from the Special Court is categorical.

He added that Karadzic expressed a wish to have visits only by the family members and those who will take part in the preparation of his defense.

"He told us he wishes to have visits only by the family members and by those who will help him prepare his defense. We are receiving over a million requests each day from those who want to see him, but the investigative judge who is making decisions about that has only approved visits by the family members and the lawyers," Special Court representative said.

Two Teams of Legal Advisers

Regarding Radovan Karadzic's defense at the Hague, Vecernje Novosti reported that former president of the Bosnian Serb republic will have two legal teams to help him. The first team, headed by Professor Dr. Smilja Avramov and including Academic Kosta Cavoski and Milivoje Ivanisevic, will have the task to gather the evidence and facts. The second team will include Karadzic's lawyer Svetozar Vujacic and Goran Petronijevic.

"These people will defend Dr. Karadzic in the best possible way. Those are the ones who could work for free and it is certain that there will be quite a few of them. So, the bigger problem here will be the money [needed for the operative part of the evidence-gathering] than the number of people who want to defend him," Law Professor Kosta Cavoski told Novosti.

Asked whether the fact Dr. Karadzic is not a lawyer by profession, like late President Milosevic and Vojislav Seselj, could be cited by the Hague as a justification for denying his right to his own defense, Cavoski said this is not an obstacle for the process, because the most important issue here are the facts.

"And no-one knows those facts better than Karadzic himself. As far as I can see, there are no reasons to deny his right to self-defense, except for the fears of the prosecution and the court that such defense will be successful. What should happen right now is that both Serbia and Republic of Srpska ought to stand behind the defense of Karadzic, like Croatia has done in case of the Croat Hague indictees," Kosta Cavoski said.

According to the lawyer Toma Fila, who has experience with the so-called Bosnian cases before the tribunal, trial to Karadzic will open several very important legal issues.

"According to Republic of Srpska Constitution, Radovan Karadzic was a supreme commander. However, Ratko Mladic never accepted that, because it would mean he was only the Army Headquarters chief. Besides, there is not a single document where it is stated that Mladic was Karadzic's subordinate. So, the question here is what kind of connection could Karadzic have had with Srebrenica events, for which he is indicted," Fila said.

Kosta Cavoski: Tadic's Cronies are Shameless Liars!

Today's Kurir carries an interview with Professor Cavoski, President of the International Association for the truth about Radovan Karadzic, after his visit to Dr. Karadzic in the Special Court building.

Q: Were You visiting Radovan as his legal representative?

KC: No. According to the legal procedure, I had my request approved by the merciful judge Milan Dilparic, in the role of representative of the legal public body. The visit lasted 30 minutes.

Q: Was he glad to see You?

KC: Yes, but I was more glad. After all, I have asked to see him.

Q: How does he look, did he shave the beard off?

KC: Yes, he did. He looks exactly the same as he did 11 years ago, when I saw him the last time. He's only much more slender now.

Q: What were Your impressions?

KC: The state of his spirit is fantastic. He is healthy and composed. He has an exceptionally strong personality.

Q: We heard he's been on a hunger strike?

KC: He hasn't been eating in five days, but I wouldn't call that a hunger strike. He says that is a diet regime.

Q: When was he arrested?

KC: He was arrested on Friday, not on Monday, as they claim. They are the shameless liars! Neither was a formal decision on holding him in custody served to him within the four hours, nor was he given the right to a lawyer, nor could he contact his family. He was held illegally imprisoned for five days.

Q: What are the legal consequences of unlawful detention?

KC: In United States, when someone is illegally apprehended, he gets released. There can be no trial. The unlawful detainment is the basis for release. But here, people are being kept hidden when they are arrested.

Q: What did You talk about?

KC: Mainly about the Hague. I told him what can he expect and what is awaiting him. I backed his decision to defend himself.

Q: Will You be his legal adviser in that case?

KC: If he is permitted to defend himself, I will gladly accept to be his legal adviser.

Q: What does he expect from the Hague trial?

KC: No one believes in justice when it comes to the Hague tribunal. Radovan has no illusions either. But he carefully followed Slobodan Milosevic and Vojislav Seselj trials.

Q: Presumably, he was also regularly reading newspapers...?

KC: Not only that, he was also using the internet. They seized even his laptop to find out whom he was communicating with. And they can now be reassured neither I, nor his family were involved...

Q: Does he know how was he discovered?

KC: Believe me, it didn't seem decent to ask how was he hiding and how was he discovered. I believe he was betrayed. We shall soon find out who betrayed him.

Foreign Agents Arrested Karadzic

Q: Who arrested Karadzic?

KC: I'm convinced the foreign agents have arrested him. Those who approached him knew Serbian, but the others, I'm sure, spoke another, foreign language.

Q: We have published the statement by an eyewitness who claims he had seen the Serbian Internal Affairs Ministry [MUP] badge...

KC: The ID can be falsified, and that would be no problem for the [foreign] agency. It could also be borrowed from the neighbor who is a policeman. Even I could flash the police badge to someone if I had it.