DNA test confirms identity of war crimes fugitive Zupljanin

13/06/2008

BELGRADE, Serbia -- The district court in Belgrade announced on Thursday (June 12th) that DNA testing confirms authorities arrested war crimes fugitive Stojan Zupljanin near the capital Wednesday. The suspect had first claimed to be someone else. Serbian authorities likely will extradite him to the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague in a matter of days. A former head of Republika Srspska police in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zupljanin faces charges of committing ethnic cleansing of Muslim and Croats during the 1992-1995 conflict.

In a statement Thursday, tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz welcomed Zupljanin's arrest and urged the arrest of other high-profile fugitives -- Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, his military commander, Ratko Mladic, and former Croatian Serb leader Goran Hadzic -- as well. (Blic - 13/06/08; RTS, Tanjug, B92 - 12/06/08)