Serb war crimes suspect says arrest violated rights

THE HAGUE, June 4 (Reuters) Former Bosnian Serb General Zdravko Tolimir declined to enter a plea to genocide charges on Monday and told the UN war crimes tribunal the nature of his arrest and transfer to the Hague last week violated his rights.

Tolimir, an aide to the tribunal's most wanted man, Bosnian Serb wartime commander Ratko Mladic, was arrested last week on the border between Serbia and Bosnia's Serb Republic and transferred to The Hague on Friday, in a move which saw Belgrade praised by the European Union for cooperation with the court.

The former general, dressed in a dark suit and tie, and appearing gaunt told the court: ''I was arrested in the territory of Serbia, whose citizen I am, and I was transferred to the territory of (Bosnia's Serb Republic) ... without the presence of a lawyer.'' He said he was taken to various locations in Bosnia where he was filmed, and interviewed by government officials who offered him inducements to say he was a citizen of Bosnia.

Tolimir is charged with two counts of genocide for his role in the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica during the 1992-95 war, as well as charges of extermination, persecution and inhumane acts.

He told the court he had suffered three strokes and lost around 30 kilos.

REUTERS AM VC2213