Bosnian Serb party "shocked" by "scandalous raid" of Karadzic family's house
BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - December 2, 2008 Tuesday

Bosnian Serb officials have criticized this morning's raid of the Pale home of Radovan Karadzic's wife, Ljiljana Zelen-Karadzic, by NATO peacekeepers, who said they were investigating the network of Ratko Mladic's helpers. Bosnian Serb SRNA news agency carries the comments of Bosnia-Hercegovina's (B-H) Serb Republic (RS) President Rajko Kuzmanovic, who told journalists in Banja Luka that the latest search of Ljiljana Zelen-Karadzic's house was not renewed pressure on the Serb Republic but part of continuing pressure.

"I believe this operation was unnecessary both for NATO or anyone else, bearing in mind that Karadzic is in the Hague [detention unit], all documentation on him has been taken and I don't know what else they are seeking from the Karadzic family," Kuzmanovic said.

According to SRNA, RS Interior Minister Stanislav Cadjo told journalists in Banja Luka: "The MUP [Ministry of Internal Affairs] was not informed of the search and did not take part in the operation, which we learnt about from the media." In response to questions on whether this search constituted political pressure on the Serb Republic and a reintroduction of the Hague tribunal story in the entity, Cadjo said: "It would be irresponsible to speculate on the reasons in question."

Radovan Karadzic's former party, the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), voiced the strongest criticism of the NATO search operation. Bosnian Federation News Agency (FENA) cites a SDS statement which says the party was "shocked" by this morning's "scandalous raid". According to the SDS, the search had various aims, "to hinder Karadzic's defence, look for an alibi for the continuing persecution of dozens of dismissed SDS officials and for NATO troops to remain in B-H".

"Contrary to practice in civilized countries of the world, the Karadzic family has endured a decade of persecution, mistreatment and harassment, and we are witness to the continuation of the inhumane treatment towards them even after Karadzic's handover to the Hague, despite it being completely clear that his family was not part of any would-be network of helpers," the statement says. For the SDS it is "indicative that there was no warrant for this morning's raid of the Karadzic family house by NATO troops and this spectacle took place ahead of the NATO summit, probably in order to secure an alibi for the continuing stay in B-H". The SDS urged RS President Kuzmanovic and Prime Minister Milorad Dodik to protect the constitutionally guaranteed rights of the Karadzic family and to prevent "the continuation of their baseless, illegal and uncivilized persecution".

Source: SRNA news agency, Bijeljina, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 1321 gmt 2 Dec 08; SRNA news agency, Bijeljina, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 1305 gmt; Federation News Agency, Sarajevo, in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian 1545 gmt

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