Manufactured Chaos, Part II: Serbia’s Double Games and War Criminals
A New Escape, An Old Pattern
The recent revelation that Novak Stjepanovic, a convicted war criminal, former member of the Bosnian paramilitary Bosnian Serb Army (VRS), — part of unconstitutionally-proclaimed Serb parastate "Republika Srpska" — escaped prison and resurfaced among Russian paramilitaries in Ukraine is not an aberration — it is a continuation of Serbia’s long tradition of shielding perpetrators of atrocities.
Stjepanovic, sentenced in June 2025 by Belgrade’s Court of Appeals to 13 years for crimes against civilians in Bratunac during the Bosnian War for Independence, was already posting battlefield photos from Siberia months before the verdict. His escape underscores the porousness of Serbia’s justice system, where verdicts are delivered but enforcement is conveniently delayed, allowing war criminals to slip into new theaters of violence.
The Ghosts of Karadžić and Mladić
This double game is not new. Serbia’s institutions have a history of protecting figures like Radovan Karadžić, the political architect of ethnic cleansing, and Ratko Mladić, the military commander behind the Srebrenica genocide. Both men evaded justice for years, aided by networks of sympathizers and state complicity, before finally being captured and tried in The Hague.
Their prolonged freedom was not accidental — it was symptomatic of a system that treats war criminals as assets rather than pariahs. Stjepanovic’s case shows that the same machinery of concealment and delay remains intact, now extending its reach into Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Exporting Violence Abroad
Reports from Bosnia’s Detector News confirm Stjepanovic’s presence in Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia, in April 2025. He is not alone. The Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office has sought information on at least 12 Bosnian Serb citizens suspected of war crimes in Ukraine and even identified an entire battalion of Serbian volunteers.
This export of Balkan war criminals to foreign conflicts is a dangerous mutation of Serbia’s nationalist agenda. Instead of facing justice at home, perpetrators are recycled into new wars, serving Moscow’s paramilitary needs while reinforcing Belgrade’s geopolitical double game — professing European integration while enabling destabilization abroad.
Justice Deferred, Chaos Manufactured
The Stjepanovic affair reveals the hollowness of Serbia’s judicial process. Sentences are pronounced, but enforcement is undermined. War criminals are allowed to reinvent themselves as mercenaries, perpetuating cycles of violence from Bosnia to Ukraine.
Interpol and European institutions must recognize this pattern: Serbia’s justice system is not merely failing — it is complicit. By shielding war criminals, delaying enforcement, and tolerating their redeployment, Belgrade sustains a culture of impunity that threatens Europe’s stability.
A Warning for Europe
From Karadžić and Mladić to Stjepanovic, the lesson is consistent: Serbia’s double game is not about justice but about preserving nationalist leverage. The Balkans remain a breeding ground for manufactured chaos, and unless Europe confronts this duplicity head-on, the ghosts of Bosnia will continue to haunt new battlefields.
Author: Mel Reese
EMAIL ADDRESS:
melreese72[at]outlook[dot]com
A New Escape, An Old Pattern
The recent revelation that Novak Stjepanovic, a convicted war criminal, former member of the Bosnian paramilitary Bosnian Serb Army (VRS), — part of unconstitutionally-proclaimed Serb parastate "Republika Srpska" — escaped prison and resurfaced among Russian paramilitaries in Ukraine is not an aberration — it is a continuation of Serbia’s long tradition of shielding perpetrators of atrocities.
Stjepanovic, sentenced in June 2025 by Belgrade’s Court of Appeals to 13 years for crimes against civilians in Bratunac during the Bosnian War for Independence, was already posting battlefield photos from Siberia months before the verdict. His escape underscores the porousness of Serbia’s justice system, where verdicts are delivered but enforcement is conveniently delayed, allowing war criminals to slip into new theaters of violence.
The Ghosts of Karadžić and Mladić
This double game is not new. Serbia’s institutions have a history of protecting figures like Radovan Karadžić, the political architect of ethnic cleansing, and Ratko Mladić, the military commander behind the Srebrenica genocide. Both men evaded justice for years, aided by networks of sympathizers and state complicity, before finally being captured and tried in The Hague.
Their prolonged freedom was not accidental — it was symptomatic of a system that treats war criminals as assets rather than pariahs. Stjepanovic’s case shows that the same machinery of concealment and delay remains intact, now extending its reach into Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Exporting Violence Abroad
Reports from Bosnia’s Detector News confirm Stjepanovic’s presence in Khanty-Mansiysk, Siberia, in April 2025. He is not alone. The Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office has sought information on at least 12 Bosnian Serb citizens suspected of war crimes in Ukraine and even identified an entire battalion of Serbian volunteers.
This export of Balkan war criminals to foreign conflicts is a dangerous mutation of Serbia’s nationalist agenda. Instead of facing justice at home, perpetrators are recycled into new wars, serving Moscow’s paramilitary needs while reinforcing Belgrade’s geopolitical double game — professing European integration while enabling destabilization abroad.
Justice Deferred, Chaos Manufactured
The Stjepanovic affair reveals the hollowness of Serbia’s judicial process. Sentences are pronounced, but enforcement is undermined. War criminals are allowed to reinvent themselves as mercenaries, perpetuating cycles of violence from Bosnia to Ukraine.
Interpol and European institutions must recognize this pattern: Serbia’s justice system is not merely failing — it is complicit. By shielding war criminals, delaying enforcement, and tolerating their redeployment, Belgrade sustains a culture of impunity that threatens Europe’s stability.
A Warning for Europe
From Karadžić and Mladić to Stjepanovic, the lesson is consistent: Serbia’s double game is not about justice but about preserving nationalist leverage. The Balkans remain a breeding ground for manufactured chaos, and unless Europe confronts this duplicity head-on, the ghosts of Bosnia will continue to haunt new battlefields.
Author: Mel Reese
EMAIL ADDRESS:
melreese72[at]outlook[dot]com