MOSCOW (AP) – Genocide suspect Radovan Karadzic’s arrest was motivated by Serbia’s wish to integrate with the West, Russian politicians declared yesterday, with some claiming his fate is sealed because they view the UN tribunal as hopelessly biased.

Western leaders have loudly applauded the capture of Karadzic, accused of organizing the deadly siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 massacre of thousands of Muslim boys and men in Srebrenica. But Karadzic is viewed sympathetically here, for Russia historically has had close ties to Serbia.

Moscow’s official position is that Serbia will have fulfilled its obligations to the United Nations by handing Karadzic over to its specially created Netherlands-based court.

“The trial should be objective and politicized elements, which were present in the previous work of the tribunal, should not let themselves be known,” Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in televised comments.

But a broad range of Russians – from regular Muscovites to analysts and high-profile Russian politicians – say Karadzic’s arrest was politically motivated and that he will face a puppet court in The Hague.

Karadzic’s arrest resulted from “every form of crude political, economic and media pressure put on Belgrade by the West,” Communist Party leader Gennady Zyuganov said in a statement.

Viktor Linnik, editor of the independent weekly Slova, said the UN war crimes tribunal was “very lopsided in its treatment of war criminals.” “The thrust of the process of justice has been biased – critically biased against the Serbs,” Linnik said.

Sergei Mitrokhin, leader of the liberal Yabloko Party, said Serbia’s primary motivation for the arrest was its wish to join the European Union. Indeed, EU officials have said the arrest has removed an obstacle from Serbia’s path to membership.

Mitrokhin even claimed the death of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic during his trial at the UN tribunal “muddied” the court’s reputation. Milosevic died of a heart attack in 2006 while on trial in The Hague.

Some ordinary Russians also viewed the arrest with consternation.

“I view this whole episode negatively,” said Gennady Antonov, 62. “For Russia, the arrest is not beneficial. After all, the Serbs are our friends. You don’t harm your own people.”

Others saw justice. “Yes, Serbia is very close to Russia, but Karadzic should be punished,” said Artem Gluschenko, 29.