KARADŽIĆ DENIED BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS IN BRITAIN’S “MEDIEVAL” PRISON

ISTOČNO SARAJEVO, SEPTEMBER 14 /SRNA/ – The association “Creators of Republika Srpska” strongly condemned the ban on the visit of priest Radmilo Stokić to the first president of Republika Srpska, Radovan Karadžić, emphasizing that this is only part of the physical and psychological terror against him.

The association stressed that this completely inexplicable and unprovoked ban only confirms the extent to which basic human and spiritual rights, as well as the right to adequate medical care for the ailing Karadžić, have been denied. Karadžić is, as they noted, imprisoned in a “medieval” jail on the remote island of Wight, south of England. “This is only part of the physical and psychological terror against him, which has been reported for years by his family and lawyers. All international conventions, including the so-called Mandela Rules, have been grossly violated in the case of Karadžić, as well as in the cases of General Ratko Mladić and many other Hague convicts serving sentences in European prisons,” the Creators of Republika Srpska stated. The association pointed out that the residual mechanism of the Hague Tribunal completely ignores, or inadequately responds to, warnings about violations of fundamental human rights, which should be respected regardless of the convict or type of sentence. “We hope that the UN, as the founders of the Hague Tribunal, will soon put this issue on the agenda and request that the authorities of the United Kingdom, as well as other countries cooperating with the residual mechanism, fundamentally change this vindictive practice toward prisoners of Serbian nationality,” the statement added. The association expressed immense gratitude to the Serbian Orthodox Church priest, Radmilo Stokić, for his dedication and perseverance in visiting Serbs serving long prison sentences across Europe, selflessly providing them with spiritual comfort and human support. Official chaplain of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Radmilo Stokić, was not allowed to visit the first president of Republika Srpska, Radovan Karadžić, in the British prison Albany on the Isle of Wight, even though he was registered on the visitor list. Priest Stokić told SRNA that this is one in a series of examples of psychological torture being carried out against Karadžić. He noted that yesterday’s visit was supposed to be the sixth in a row, and that nothing like this had happened before.