Views of Bosnia war crimes case vary within govt

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) – The Muslim member of Bosnia’s multi-ethnic presidency says former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic “got the punishment he deserved” from United Nations judges who upgraded his sentence for war crimes to life in prison.

Sefik Dzaferovic said the people who suffered under Karadzic during Bosnia’s 1992-1995 war “can be satisfied with this” after waiting so long for justice.

Dzaferovic described Karadzic on Wednesday as “one of the architects and leaders of the joint criminal enterprise which resulted in genocide and crimes against humanity.”

Bosnia’s presidency also includes a Croat and a Serb member. The Serb member, Milorad Dodik, called the U.N. judges’ decision “arrogant and cynical.” Dodik says Serbs in Bosnia consider the judges biased against Serbs.

He says the Yugoslav war crimes court was designed to build trust among Bosnia’s former war foes, but has instead driven them further apart.