2008 Woodie Awards
International law can be reaffirmed with future trials
Jessie Lowry
Issue date: 8/26/08 Section: OpEd Page
The summer of 2008 will be remembered for many significant milestones. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) solidified his hold as the Democratic presidential nominee, with a high likelihood of becoming the first African-American president of the United States. Two-hundred-and-four National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in the Beijing Olympics and 87 NOCs joined the medal count. Russia reasserted its Cold War mentality after its invasion of Georgia displayed its power over the former Soviet space. However, while many Americans were glued to their televisions watching Michael Phelps win his eighth gold medal or enjoying Paris Hilton's rebuttal to Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) ad, very few paid attention to the detention of former President of Republika Srpska Radovan Karadzic and the arrest warrant issued against the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir.
After hiding behind his crazy hair and long, white beard for more than a decade, Karadzic has been charged with 11 counts including crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes for his involvement in the Srebrenica massacre and Bosnia-Herzegovina war occurring from 1992-1995. July 31, Karadzic appeared for the first time before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, Netherlands presided over by Judge Alphons Orie. While Karadzic did not enter a plea during his initial appearance before the war crimes tribunal, he will have until Aug. 29-his next appearance in court.
Karadzic's arrest and trial is a chance for Bosnia to reconcile with its past while also restoring hope in the international system of justice. Karadzic is the highest-ranking politician to appear before the ICTY since Slobodan Milosevic, the former Serbian president. Milosevic, also charged with genocide, died during his trial in
2006. The outcome of Karadzic's trial could directly impact the fate of al-Bashir.
July 14, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested a warrant for al-Bashir's arrest. He is being charged on five accounts, including masterminding attempts to eliminate African tribes with a campaign of murder, rape and deportation. The United Nations estimates that over 2.5 million Africans have been displaced and 300,000 have died in the war-torn region of Darfur.
Sudan's president should pay close attention to Karadzic's proceedings and trial. Al-Bashir's arrest warrant is the beginning of the end. The summer of 2008 will not just be another season. Instead, it signals the change of international law and human standards. Heads of states will be held accountable for flagrant crimes against their own citizens. Karadzic's trial could set precedent for future prosecutions against war criminals and the end of impunity for human rights violators. This is the stepping-stone toward ending genocide.
After hiding behind his crazy hair and long, white beard for more than a decade, Karadzic has been charged with 11 counts including crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes for his involvement in the Srebrenica massacre and Bosnia-Herzegovina war occurring from 1992-1995. July 31, Karadzic appeared for the first time before the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague, Netherlands presided over by Judge Alphons Orie. While Karadzic did not enter a plea during his initial appearance before the war crimes tribunal, he will have until Aug. 29-his next appearance in court.
Karadzic's arrest and trial is a chance for Bosnia to reconcile with its past while also restoring hope in the international system of justice. Karadzic is the highest-ranking politician to appear before the ICTY since Slobodan Milosevic, the former Serbian president. Milosevic, also charged with genocide, died during his trial in
2006. The outcome of Karadzic's trial could directly impact the fate of al-Bashir.
July 14, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested a warrant for al-Bashir's arrest. He is being charged on five accounts, including masterminding attempts to eliminate African tribes with a campaign of murder, rape and deportation. The United Nations estimates that over 2.5 million Africans have been displaced and 300,000 have died in the war-torn region of Darfur.
Sudan's president should pay close attention to Karadzic's proceedings and trial. Al-Bashir's arrest warrant is the beginning of the end. The summer of 2008 will not just be another season. Instead, it signals the change of international law and human standards. Heads of states will be held accountable for flagrant crimes against their own citizens. Karadzic's trial could set precedent for future prosecutions against war criminals and the end of impunity for human rights violators. This is the stepping-stone toward ending genocide.
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