(24 Feb 1998) Serbo-Croat/Nat
A Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect on Tuesday declared his innocence as he left the region to surrender to a U-N tribunal on charges of helping terrorise non-Serbs into fleeing northeastern Bosnia.
About 1-thousand well-wishers gathered in the town's main square to say goodbye to Simo Zaric as he drove off accompanied by his son and lawyer, escorted by two Serb police cars.
Many were crying and attempting to shake Zaric's hand or kiss him. \"Good luck, truth to freedom\" and \"See you later this year\" read two of many banners.
To follow
Said another: \"After Hague - Nobel Peace Prize.\" Six Serbs from the northeastern town
are charged with deporting non-Serbs in 1992. Zaric was the head of the town's police.
The indictment for the \"Samac Six\" alleges they organised a campaign of terror to drive non-Serbs out of the northeastern town, including setting up of camps where they
tortured, raped and killed inmates.
Earlier this month, two other Serb suspects from Bosanski Samac - Milan Simic and Miroslav Tadic - surrendered to NATO-led troops in what appeared to be the start of Serb cooperation with the court.
They pleaded innocent.
Under the previous Bosnian Serb government of hard-liners, no Bosnian Serb suspects gave up or were handed over.
But the new government, which has the backing of the United States and its allies, has promised to honour the Dayton peace accords, which call for trials for war crimes suspects.
The new policy indirectly threatens Radovan Kardzic, the former Bosnian Serb
leader and No. 1 war crimes suspect.
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
\"This is a moment of our join destiny.Yours Simo is going to the Hague, not as a war criminal. I'm going there to speak the truth.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Simo Zaric
SOUNDBITE: (Serbo-Croat)
\"Crimes occurred here, there were people who were committing it. Terrible atrocities happened and somebody has to take responsibility for that but that's not Simo Zaric.That is why I'm going in front of the Hague tribunal to speak the truth.Off course ,somebody will find this truth accusing but those who committed it have to take
responsibility.\"
SUPER CAPTION: Simo Zaric
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