
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 17, 1995                   TAG: 9505170074
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS                                 LENGTH: Short

U.N. TRIBUNAL TO HEAR BOSNIAN WAR-CRIMES CASE

Citing legal precedents laid down at Tokyo and Nuremberg, the Yugoslav Tribunal on Tuesday took over the Bosnian government's war crimes case against Radovan Karadzic and two Bosnian Serb commanders.

A three-judge panel formally asked the Bosnian government to hand over any evidence and to forgo further criminal prosecutions so the U.N. court proceedings can begin.

Bosnian authorities say they'll cooperate with the tribunal, which will now assume sole jurisdiction of the war crime cases against Karadzic, Bosnian Serb army leader Ratko Mladic and Mico Stanisic, former head of the Bosnian Serb police.

The three are expected to be indicted later this year on genocide and other war crime charges.

``This is a very important decision which is dealing with a major issue of the criminal responsibility of persons in positions of authority,'' tribunal spokesman Christian Chartier said after the 25-minute hearing.

- Associated Press

by CNB