Bosnia's Plavsic goes on trial

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Former Bosnian Serb president Biljana Plavsic is appearing before the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

Plavsic, 70, known as the "Iron Lady of the Balkans" and Bosnian Serb president between 1996 and 1998, surrendered to the United Nations tribunal on Wednesday.

She is facing charges of genocide, crimes against humanity, violations of the laws and customs of war, and grave breaches of the Geneva Convention, the tribunal's chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte said.

Her attorney, Krstan Simic, said: "Mrs Plavsic was faced with the indictment, but the decision to surrender was her own. She is aware that this is the only place she can legally prove her innocence."

Her indictment was approved by the court last April but kept secret until Wednesday. She learned she was wanted and began negotiations with United Nations prosecutors a month ago.

Del Ponte has also revealed that she plans to visit Belgrade on January 23 in her efforts to normalise relations with the Yugoslav authorities and persuade them to hand over former president Slobodan Milosevic.

CHAT TRANSCRIPT

Christiane Amanpour: Ex-Bosnian Serb president surrenders to tribunal

ALSO

Plavsic: The Iron Lady who turned

VIDEO

CNN's Zain Verjee reports former Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic has decided to cooperate with the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal

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Main developments
•	Plavsic is handed indictment in written form
•	Charges include genocide and crimes against humanity
•	Plavsic knew before court appearance she would be indicted
•	Plavsic lawyer says she voluntarily decided to co-operate with tribunal
•	She is expected to stay in The Hague for some time
•	Trial not expected to begin before November 2001
From CNN Belgrade bureau

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Christiane Amanpour: "Her nationalism was known far and wide during the war."

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Peace in the Balkans

Bosnian Serb prime minister Milorad Dodik said his government would offer guarantees to the tribunal so that it could grant bail to Plavsic.

And her party, the Serbian People's Alliance, said Plavsic "will defend her dignity, patriotism and humanity but also the dignity of the Serb people."

In a statement issued in the Bosnian Serb capital Banja Luka, the party said she had given herself up to prove her innocence.

CNN's Christiane Amanpour said Plavsic, a virulent nationalist, is the first woman to be indicted by the court and the first Bosnian Serb to go voluntarily to The Hague.

During the Bosnia war, when hundreds of thousands of Moslems were killed by Serb separatists, Plavsic was deputy to the Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.

But after the war, Plavsic broke with Karadzic and the hardliners, embraced the U.S.-backed peace plan for Bosnia, and was elected the first post-war president of the Bosnian Serb Republic.

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visited her to encourage her towards moderation and to try to enlist her help in bringing in the most wanted war crimes suspects, Karadzic and General Ratko Mladic.

They remain at large and two years ago Plavsic lost the presidency to hardline nationalists.

Plavsic's surrender is a major coup for prosecutors as they close the net on more powerful figures in the Bosnian Serb chain of command.

The tribunal is also seeking evidence that could link Milosevic to war crimes committed in Bosnia. He is currently indicted on charges stemming from the Kosovo war.

Del Ponte has insisted that Milosevic, and other suspects at large in Yugoslavia, be arrested and transferred to The Hague. Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica has appeared to rule out such a move, mooting instead the idea that his predecessor could be tried in Belgrade.

Del Ponte hopes to persuade Kostunica with assurances that her office will investigate crimes in which Serbs were the victims.

Plavsic, a former biology professor, is expected to be in The Hague for at least a week and appear before the court several times. Simic said her trial was not expected to begin until November 2001.

Del Ponte stressed the tribunal had not agreed any compromise as part of Plavsic's surrender. Prosecutors say plea-bargaining, such as offering immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony, is not an option open to them.

"(There was) no negotiation at all. The only contact was because she wanted to voluntarily surrender," Del Ponte said.

The UK and U.S. welcomed Plavsic's decision to turn herself in. British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook said: "Britain strongly supports the (tribunal's) work which is making a significant contribution to peace and stability in the region."

And Albright said: "I respect her for living up to what we think is an international obligation and is going to do the right thing."

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.