Politics
Bosnia: Karadzic asks UN tribunal for more time
The Hague, 3 Nov. (AKI) - Wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, accused of genocide and war crimes, appeared before the United Nations war crimes tribunal (ICTY) on Tuesday breaking a boycott he had imposed on the court last week, and asked the court for more time in order to prepare his defence. However, it was not clear how the trial would proceed.
Karadzic boycotted the court sessions last week and the prosecutors' introductory statements, saying he needed 10 more months to prepare his defence. He has asked for the trial to be postponed until May or June of 2010, but the appeals panel turned down his request.
"I, in no way intend to boycott this process, which is very important and the last chance to reach the truth," Karadzic told the court on Tuesday.
"But I can't participate in something that has been wrong from the start because of violation of my fundamental rights to prepare my defence," he added.
The presiding judge, O-gon Kwon, said it was "up to the trial chamber, not an individual" to decide when the case was ready for trial.
Karadzic, who was arrested in the Serbian capital Belgrade in July last year, after 13 years in hiding, said it was impossible to read 1.3 million pages of prosecution documents and some 700,000 of his own in such a short time.
The prosecutor, Hildegard Uertz-Retzlaff, demanded that the trial should proceed with, or without Karadzic present and that he be appointed an official defence lawyer.
He added any extra delays accrued would be a "reasonable price" to pay to end Karadzic's obstruction of the trial.
Karadzic is defending himself, but has a team of legal experts assisting him.
Karadzic has been charged on two counts of genocide and nine counts of crimes against humanity committed by the Bosnian Serb forces during the 1992-1995 civil war, including a massacre of up to 8,000 Muslims in the eastern town of Srebrenica in July 1995.
He has threatened to go on a hunger strike if he was denied the right to defend himself, arguing that the appointed lawyer would need even more time to prepare himself for the trial.
O-gon Kwon said the court would consider all possibilities and decide "by the end of the week" on how to proceed with the trial
Karadzic boycotted the court sessions last week and the prosecutors' introductory statements, saying he needed 10 more months to prepare his defence. He has asked for the trial to be postponed until May or June of 2010, but the appeals panel turned down his request.
"I, in no way intend to boycott this process, which is very important and the last chance to reach the truth," Karadzic told the court on Tuesday.
"But I can't participate in something that has been wrong from the start because of violation of my fundamental rights to prepare my defence," he added.
The presiding judge, O-gon Kwon, said it was "up to the trial chamber, not an individual" to decide when the case was ready for trial.
Karadzic, who was arrested in the Serbian capital Belgrade in July last year, after 13 years in hiding, said it was impossible to read 1.3 million pages of prosecution documents and some 700,000 of his own in such a short time.
The prosecutor, Hildegard Uertz-Retzlaff, demanded that the trial should proceed with, or without Karadzic present and that he be appointed an official defence lawyer.
He added any extra delays accrued would be a "reasonable price" to pay to end Karadzic's obstruction of the trial.
Karadzic is defending himself, but has a team of legal experts assisting him.
Karadzic has been charged on two counts of genocide and nine counts of crimes against humanity committed by the Bosnian Serb forces during the 1992-1995 civil war, including a massacre of up to 8,000 Muslims in the eastern town of Srebrenica in July 1995.
He has threatened to go on a hunger strike if he was denied the right to defend himself, arguing that the appointed lawyer would need even more time to prepare himself for the trial.
O-gon Kwon said the court would consider all possibilities and decide "by the end of the week" on how to proceed with the trial
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