Reactions from Serbia on Karadžić: No justification for those who plunged their own and other nations into darkness

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Appeals Chamber of the Mechanism for Criminal Courts yesterday sentenced former President of Republika Srpska Radovan Karadžić to life imprisonment.

Numerous reactions to the verdict were recorded in Serbia, and what is symptomatic is that both the media and politicians reacted differently compared to some previous verdicts.

Jerkov: Let's talk about war crimes and victims

"Guilt is always individual, and criminals have names and surnames. One of those names is Radovan Karadžić. Now let's talk a little about the war crimes he committed and the victims, instead of, I fear, lamenting our own fate and promoting bad theses about the 'genocidal nation'," said Serbian MP Aleksandra Jerkov, a member of the Democratic Party parliamentary group.

Jovanović: Let's reflect on where the insane policy of the nineties led us

"There are no winners or losers today. This is a day when we must once again reflect on where the insane policy of the nineties led us and how those who led countries into senseless wars and citizens into hell end up. We will decide for ourselves whether to absolve the entire nation of guilt for the crimes of Karadžić's war policy, if we are prepared to distance ourselves from those crimes and condemn the policy that led to them," said Čedomir Jovanović, leader of the LDS.

Šutanovac: They plunged their own and other nations into darkness

"Forget collective guilt, criminals have names and surnames, and that's the end of it," wrote former Serbian Minister of Defense Dragan Šuranovac on Twitter, adding, "they plunged their own and other nations into darkness, and now they want the entire nation to be judged."

Movement of Free Citizens: No justification for defending the worst individuals

"We believe that the absence of justice in certain cases is not a justification for passionately defending the worst individuals who, through their irresponsible actions, led to bloody conflicts and a large number of innocent victims," said the Movement of Free Citizens of Serbia, led by actor Sergej Trifunović.

Vukčević: The sentence is more just than the previous one

Former Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor Vladimir Vukčević assessed that the verdict against Radovan Karadžić is "more just than the previous one." "I believe that the life sentence is a satisfaction for the victims' families because it is more just. As a professional, I do not expect the sentence to be less or more, but - just," said Vukčević.