Tribunal rejects Karadzic attempt to delay trial

Amsterdam: Judges at the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague yesterday denied an appeal by wartime Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to delay his trial to give him more time to prepare.

The trial began five months ago but had been adjourned pending the appeal. It is likely to resume in the next few weeks when prosecutors call witnesses.

During his opening statement last month, Karadzic denied involvement in the two worst atrocities of the 1992-95 Bosnian war — the four-year siege of Sarajevo by Serb forces, where 10,000 died, and the killing of more than 7,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys at Srebrenica in 1995.

In all, Karadzic faces 11 charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and violating the laws and customs of war. He denies them all.

The appeals judges said in their ruling that his demand for more time was groundless. Karadzic had boycotted the start of the trial last year, arguing that he needed more time to prepare.