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The following was the leading story on my daily B92 news email the other day, and the catalyst for this post.

Mladic to be arrested by Sunday?

BELGRADE — Serbian police are searching a number of locations in Belgrade for Ratko Mladic, including his home

For a long time Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic have been wanted by the United Nations war crimes tribunal. They are considered by pretty much anyone outside Serbia as guilty of committing war crimes. In Serbia itself opinion is divided, but the majority of people there see them as heroes. For Serbia, their capture has been an ongoing requirement to any discussions about entry into the European Union.

Obviously then it’s a highly political issue. Popular opinion, and the powerful friends and supporters of Mladic and Karadzic, make it advantageous for the government of Serbia not to arrest and hand them over but, at the same time, talks have been continuing with the EU about possible future integration.

All of that said, the EU has called off all further talks with Serbia until Mladic is arrested and transferred to the Hague. This is significant. Until now Serbia has been able to walk that political tightrope by promising results to the rest of Europe, while doing essentially nothing to make the arrests. The EU decision has finally forced Serbia’s hand, and it looks like they might actually make an attempt to arrest at least Mladic. So why did that first story I mentioned make me decide I had to do this post?

If – when you decide it’s really time to try and find someone – the first place you look is their home, it paints a not very flattering picture. One that suggests you were never really trying in the first place.

Read some stories from B92 about the Hague and Serbia’s dealings with it here.