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U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman Press Statement

Press Statement by James P. Rubin, Spokesman
January 9, 1999

Operation To Apprehend Bosnian War Criminal

Today, the NATO-led Stabilization Force, acting within its mandate and in the course of its normal duties, sought to apprehend indicted war criminal Dragan Gagovic near the town of Foca in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina. Gagovic, who is a Bosnian Serb, resisted arrest by attempting to run down SFOR troops with his vehicle. Consistent with their rules of engagement, SFOR troops fired in self-defense and Gagovic was badly wounded as a result. He was taken to a medical facility for emergency care, but was pronounced dead on arrival. Neither SFOR troops nor others were reported wounded or injured during the incident.

SFOR’s actions were carried out in coordination with the ICTY prosecutor and in accordance with the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions and the General Framework for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina of the Dayton Accords. This action stands as a warning to those indicted for war crimes that they will be held individually accountable for their actions.

This was not an action against the Serb people of Bosnia. It was an action to bring to justice, under the rule of law, a person indicted for war crimes.

Dragan Gagovic is charged by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia with counts of crimes against humanity, grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, and violations of the laws and customs of war, while he was serving as Chief of Police in the town of Foca beginning in 1992. Many of these charges relate to a continuous pattern of sexual assault and rape of women, who were detained and expelled from Foca.

Dragoljub Kunarac, who surrendered to the International Criminal Tribunal on March 4, 1998, is also charged with rape and sexual assault on the same indictment with Gagovic.

The international community has repeatedly made clear that it believes the surrender of persons indicted for war crimes is an essential part of building peace and reconciliation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United States supports continued actions to bring indicted war criminals to justice. All indictees, who remain at large, including Radovan Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic, belong in The Hague in the custody of the International Criminal Tribunal.

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