Statement by the Press Secretary on the Arrest of Goran Hadzic

The United States welcomes the arrest of Goran Hadzic, who is charged with participation in the murder of hundreds of Croation civilians, among other crimes, and is the final remaining fugitive indicted for atrocities by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).  We congratulate President Tadic and the Government of Serbia for ensuring that the last fugitive indictee of the ICTY will now face justice. 

We hope that Goran Hadzic’s arrest, coming less than two months after the arrest of fellow indictee Ratko Mladic, can bring some much needed closure to the victims of the crimes committed in Croatia, and their families, and elsewhere in the region.  It also serves as yet another reminder to those around the world who carry out terrible crimes that their day, too, will come. 

Over the course of its 18-year history, the United States has been and remains a steadfast supporter of the ICTY and its critically important work.  The arrests of Mladic and now Hadzic, the final two fugitives out of 161 individuals indicted by the court, will allow the ICTY, and the many professionals who have worked in its chambers, to finally complete their mandate on behalf of the victims and in pursuit of justice.