Take firm stand on war crimes

The Toronto Star October 22, 1996, Tuesday, METRO EDITION

Copyright 1996 Toronto Star Newspapers, Ltd.
The Toronto Star

October 22, 1996, Tuesday, METRO EDITION

SECTION: LETTER; Pg. A18

LENGTH: 309 words

HEADLINE: Take firm stand on war crimes

BODY:

Re Inaction lamented on war crimes arrests (Oct. 7). The slow progress of war crimes trials for the former Yugoslavia should be disheartening to anyone concerned with justice.

With great fanfare, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 827 on May 25, calling for the establishment of an international war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Since then, not much has occurred, even though a commission of experts appointed by the United Nations documented thousands of cases of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Only 74 persons have been indicted, and only seven of those are in detention. In fact, some of the most flagrant violators of international humanitarian law, namely, Slobodan Milosevic and Radovan Karadzic, appear immune.

Karadzic was charged with genocide of 6,000 Muslims in Srebrenica in July, 1995, and is free even though he stands indicted by the tribunal.

Resolution 827 boldly states that “the establishment of an international tribunal and the prosecution of persons responsible for . . . violations of international humanitarian law will contribute to ensuring that such violations are halted and effectively redressed.”

Unfortunately, the tribunal has had a credibility problem because of the world community’s failure to back it up by enforcing its arrests warrants.

With the appointment of Madam Justice Louise Arbour of the Ontario Court of Appeal as the new prosecutor, Canada must take the initiative and call on the international community to abide by Resolution 827 and ensure that all persons accused of these horrendous crimes are brought to justice.

Until the international community takes a firm stand on this issue, the future of this tribunal and any other internationall tribunals for violations of humanitarian law look bleak.

Faisal Kutty

Scarborough

Tags: Resolution 827, War Crimes, Yugoslavia

Short URL: http://tinyurl.com/yaznktf