1 April 2002

War crimes' suspect arrested Soldiers in the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) arrested a war crimes suspect in Bosnia and Herzegovina and, on 1 April, NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson warned other fugitives that they faced a similar fate. Momir Nikolic, a 47-year-old major in the Bosnian Serb Army was arrested in his house near the eastern Bosnian town of Bratunac and transferred to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague. He is indicted for war crimes - including genocide, forcible transfer and inhumane acts - committed in and around the Srebrenica enclave between July and November 1995. Immediately after the arrest, Lord Robertson said: "Let today's detention serve as a warning. There will be no hiding place for anyone accused by the Tribunal of these horrific crimes. Let me be crystal clear to those with guilty consciences, you have only two choices: turn yourself in with dignity or justice will be brought to you." Additional information: NATO Press Release (2002)043: Statement by the Secretary General of NATO - 1 April 2002