I spent most of yesterday discussing the politics and prospects of a small southern European country which, yes, has its problems but deals with them in a mature, sophisticated way. Namely Bosnia and Herzegovina. In particular, the way in which the Bosnian media on all sides go out of their […]
Former Bosnia Presidency member Ejup Ganic has been released on bail, albeit subject to some strict conditions. Serbia has to continue mustering evidence for the process to move forward. In the end current BH Bosniac Presidency member Haris Silajdzic did not visit him in jail, but instead remonstrated with David […]
Sarajevo’s Dnevni Avaz reports that the Bosniac member of the three-person Bosnian collective state Presidency, Haris Silajdzic, is travelling to London to visit Ejup Ganic tomorrow – presumably in jail. The office of the Serb member of the Presidency Nebojsa Radmanovic mournfully complains that he still has not been informed. […]
At the risk of boring everyone, here is an excellent interview with Jovan Divjak about the Dobrovoljacka St killings and the politics of it all now. It’s in Bosnian/Serbian (not as Google says Croatian), but if you use the Google Translate button you’ll get more than enough of it in […]
Here is what looks like the original British Arrest Warrant for Ejup Ganic (click on the Arrest Warrant.jpg link) It contains a seeming serious error (emphasis added), saying that Ganic is accused in a category 2 territory, namely Serbia of the commission of an offence the conduct of which occurred in that […]
What really happened in chaotic Sarajevo in and around Dobrovoljacka Street on 3 May 1992? The range of views appears to be broadly as follows: Core Serbia/’Serb’ Claim: perfidious massacre of JNA soldiers attempting to withdraw from Sarajevo under UN colours as per an agreement duly reached with the Bosniac leadership, […]
Dnevni Avaz in Sarajevo reports that the UK court has ordered that Ejup Ganic stay in prison for a further week, apparently to give Serbia more time to present evidence against him for the Dobrovoljacka St massacre in 1992. A protest demonstration is to be held outside the British and […]
I have just given a short interview to Radio Free Europe in Sarajevo about the Ganic problem. The interviewer asked a question about the abuse of UK courts for political purposes. I pointed out that there are two completely different issues here, which may (understandably) be merging into one in […]
The Daily Telegraph weighs in on Ejup Ganic: Bosnia has demanded his release and supporters claimed Britain had allowed itself to be used as pawn in the long-running battle between the two former Yugoslav nations. The Telegraph quotes both an unnamed spokesman for Lady Thatcher and Robin Harris, her former speechwriter: "She […]
Update: Balkan media are reporting this afternoon that Ganic’s request to be released on bail has been refused by the court in London. B92 says that he may remain detained until 14 March when the deadline for submitting relevant documents expires, but wonders whether there may be a problem with […]
