New age guru Karadzic “defended the bees”

Published on 27 July 2009 at 12:58

In the 90’s, as Yugoslavia fell apart, Radovan Karadzic led the Serbs of Bosnia to declare their own republic. Aided by Slobodan Milosevic’”s government in Belgrade, he carried out a brutal war on Bosnia’s Muslims. 13 years after his indictment by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for genocide and crimes against humanity, and one year after his arrest and transfer to The Hague, Jack Hitt in the Sunday edition of the New York Times goes in search of a man who on the run emerged in Belgrade in 2005 as new age healer Dragan Dabic.

In heavy disguise – looking, according to one witness, “like a monk who had done something wrong with a nun” – Karadzic rapidly made a name for himself in the bizarre world of alternative medicine, working with a sex therapist interested in sperm rejuventation, and fronting a vitamin pills business based in Connecticut, USA. According to Hitt, his legacy is an ambiguous one for Serbs. Considered “the bold defender of Serbian purity”, many miss the “meek spiritualist” who loved life to such an extent that “he would defend the bees.”

Tags

Was this article useful? If so we are delighted!

It is freely available because we believe that the right to free and independent information is essential for democracy. But this right is not guaranteed forever, and independence comes at a cost. We need your support in order to continue publishing independent, multilingual news for all Europeans.

Discover our subscription offers and their exclusive benefits and become a member of our community now!

Are you a news organisation, a business, an association or a foundation? Check out our bespoke editorial and translation services.

Support independent European journalism

European democracy needs independent media. Join our community!

On the same topic