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| Karadzic defiant at Hague hearing | Karadzic defiant at Hague hearing |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has insisted he needs more time to prepare his defence, during his first appearance at his war crimes trial. | Ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has insisted he needs more time to prepare his defence, during his first appearance at his war crimes trial. |
| He told a procedural hearing in The Hague he could not join the proceedings until he had gone through more than 1.3m pages of court documents. | He told a procedural hearing in The Hague he could not join the proceedings until he had gone through more than 1.3m pages of court documents. |
| Mr Karadzic, who is conducting his own defence, boycotted the start of the trial last week. | Mr Karadzic, who is conducting his own defence, boycotted the start of the trial last week. |
| He has not entered a plea, but denies the charges related to the Bosnian war. | He has not entered a plea, but denies the charges related to the Bosnian war. |
| "I do not want to boycott these proceedings, but I cannot take part in something that has been bad from the start and where my fundamental rights have been violated," Mr Karadzic said at Tuesday's hearing. | |
| Presiding Judge O-Gon Kwon replied that the court had already determined the defendant had had ample time to prepare. | |
| "Clearly you disagree with these decisions," the judge added. "However, as I previously stated to you, it is the trial chamber, not an accused person, which determines readiness for trial." | |
| The judge is now to decide how the trial will proceed in view of Mr Karadzic's refusal to attend. | |
| Balancing interests | Balancing interests |
| The trial opened on 26 October, but Mr Karadzic failed to attend. | The trial opened on 26 October, but Mr Karadzic failed to attend. |
| When he again failed to appear the following day, the judge said the defendant had chosen not to exercise his right to be present and "must therefore accept the consequences", announcing that the court would proceed in his absence. | When he again failed to appear the following day, the judge said the defendant had chosen not to exercise his right to be present and "must therefore accept the consequences", announcing that the court would proceed in his absence. |
| KARADZIC WRITES TO JUDGE Read the contents of the letter Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here | KARADZIC WRITES TO JUDGE Read the contents of the letter Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here |
| Judge Kwon said the court would consider imposing a lawyer to represent Mr Karadzic if he continued to boycott proceedings. | Judge Kwon said the court would consider imposing a lawyer to represent Mr Karadzic if he continued to boycott proceedings. |
| Mr Karadzic, who protests his innocence, has said he will refuse to accept this. | Mr Karadzic, who protests his innocence, has said he will refuse to accept this. |
| He argues that he wishes to represent himself during the proceedings but needs more time to prepare his defence, despite being indicted in 1995. | He argues that he wishes to represent himself during the proceedings but needs more time to prepare his defence, despite being indicted in 1995. |
| The BBC's Geraldine Coughlan, in The Hague, says it is now up to judges to decide how to balance the interests of Mr Karadzic against those of the prosecution and the victims. | The BBC's Geraldine Coughlan, in The Hague, says it is now up to judges to decide how to balance the interests of Mr Karadzic against those of the prosecution and the victims. |
| 'Undisputed leader' | 'Undisputed leader' |
| The former president of Republika Srpska, head of the Serbian Democratic Party (SDS) and commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, faces two charges of genocide and nine more of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the 1992-1995 war, which left more than 100,000 people dead. | |
| THE CHARGES Eleven counts of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other atrocitiesCharged over shelling Sarajevo during the city's siege, in which some 12,000 civilians diedAllegedly organised the massacre of up to 8,000 Bosniak men and youths in SrebrenicaTargeted Bosniak and Croat political leaders, intellectuals and professionalsUnlawfully deported and transferred civilians because of national or religious identityDestroyed homes, businesses and sacred sites Karadzic trial: key events Q&A: Karadzic on trial Have your say: Trial expectations | THE CHARGES Eleven counts of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other atrocitiesCharged over shelling Sarajevo during the city's siege, in which some 12,000 civilians diedAllegedly organised the massacre of up to 8,000 Bosniak men and youths in SrebrenicaTargeted Bosniak and Croat political leaders, intellectuals and professionalsUnlawfully deported and transferred civilians because of national or religious identityDestroyed homes, businesses and sacred sites Karadzic trial: key events Q&A: Karadzic on trial Have your say: Trial expectations |
| Prosecutors have branded him the leader of an ethnic cleansing campaign in the Bosnian War, calling him the "undisputed leader" of Serbs responsible for carrying out atrocities during the conflict. | Prosecutors have branded him the leader of an ethnic cleansing campaign in the Bosnian War, calling him the "undisputed leader" of Serbs responsible for carrying out atrocities during the conflict. |
| In his opening statement, prosecutor Alan Tieger dwelt on the Srebrenica massacre, in which up to 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed. | In his opening statement, prosecutor Alan Tieger dwelt on the Srebrenica massacre, in which up to 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed. |
| "The murder of these men and the expulsion of the women, children and elderly did not arise from nowhere," he said. | "The murder of these men and the expulsion of the women, children and elderly did not arise from nowhere," he said. |
| "These crimes were the culmination of the accused's determination to cleanse eastern Bosnia to ensure the Serb state he envisioned." | "These crimes were the culmination of the accused's determination to cleanse eastern Bosnia to ensure the Serb state he envisioned." |
| Mr Karadzic was taken to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague last year, after 13 years in hiding. | Mr Karadzic was taken to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague last year, after 13 years in hiding. |
| He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. | He faces a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted. |