Brammertz: Karadžić verdict shows justice is possible

The Office of the Prosecutor welcomes the Trial Chamber's judgment sentencing Radovan Karadžić to 40 years in prison for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, reports the BiH news agency Patria.

- We are satisfied that the Trial Chamber accepted a large body of evidence proving beyond reasonable doubt Karadžić's individual criminal responsibility for a whole range of crimes. This includes crimes committed in municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, crimes committed during the siege of Sarajevo, and the Srebrenica genocide.

After the judgment was pronounced, Prosecutor Serge Brammertz said that in 1993, the world decided that victims in the former Yugoslavia deserved justice.

- For two decades, those victims have entrusted us to deliver that justice. Thousands of victims came here to tell their stories and to bravely face their tormentors. Today, with this conviction, that trust has been justified. Justice has been served. The truth established by this verdict will be a bulwark against persistent attempts to deny the suffering of thousands of people and the crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia. Such moments should also remind us that today, in countless conflicts around the world, millions of victims are waiting for their justice. This verdict shows that justice is possible - Brammertz said.

The Office of the Prosecutor also expresses gratitude to the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, UN Secretaries-General, and the European Union.

- Their enduring commitment to accountability has enabled us to secure the arrests of all fugitives and complete our work. The Office of the Prosecutor considers that the process of achieving justice, although this verdict is an important step, is not yet finished.

Prosecutor Brammertz said:
- Too many victims in the former Yugoslavia are still waiting for justice. And too many families still do not know the fate of their loved ones. I call on national authorities and the international community to continue to support, at the national level, justice for war crimes and the search for the missing.