(25 Apr 1995) Serbo-Croat/Nat
The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church has come to the defence of the Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic who stands accused of war crimes.
After a church service in Pale attended by Karadzic, the Serbian Orthodox leader Patriarch Pavle made a statement defending the Bosnian leader and General Ratko Mladic, also accused of war crimes.
Such an endorsement by a senior church figure can only aid Karadzic's position as the man held responsible for prolonging the Bosnian conflict after the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal accused him of war crimes on Monday.
Karadzic met Patriarch Pavle in the Serb stronghold of Pale, just east of Sarajevo.
The aged patriarch led the Christian Orthodox service attended by Pale's faithful.
Afterwards Karadzic held a meeting with the patriarch at his headquarters.
Karadzic has said through a spokesman that he will not comment until tomorrow on the decision by the Yugoslav War Crimes Tribunal to investigate him and Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic .
But Pavle referred to yesterday's statement from The Hague.
SOUNDBITE: Serbo-Croat
"We are all born as free people, but with the freedom we also have the responsibility and now while the war is still going. To allocate my responsibility, or anybody's, it is not humane nor in God's will. When the war is over, when all circumstances and all responsibilities can be looked into from all aspects. I myself will not be excluded from the law. I am also responsible for my deeds. The one who is afraid of God, should not be afraid of anyone else."
SUPER CAPTION: Patriarch Pavle, Leader of Serbian Orthodox Church
Karadzic and Pavle then made a traditional exchange of Easter eggs. It is Easter Tuesday in the Orthodox Church.
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