Karadžić makes court appearance, postpones plea

Radovan Karadzic, accused of genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina, has appeared before the Hague Tribunal today. The former Bosnian Serb leader appeared alone, without any legal counsel, before the trial chamber presided over by Judge Alfons Orie in courtroom number one at 16:00 CET, the same courtroom where Slobodan Milosevic’s war crimes trial was held. Karadzic makes court appearance, postpones plea The indictment against him contains virtually all the crimes within the Hague Tribunal's purview, including genocide. Karadzic informed the court that he will not enter his plea today, and agreed that the next date for him to appear before the judges will be August 29. Before the indictment was read out, Karadzic said that he had "unseen advisers", but that he had decided to defend himself. The former Bosnian Serb leader appeared before the court in a dark suit, clean shaven, looking much as he did during the Nineties. Karadzic gave the court his official address in Pale, Bosnia-Hercegovina, as well as the address he had resided at during his "other identity", at 267 Jurija Gagarina St. in New Belgrade. Orie asked him if there was anyone that needed to be informed that he had been taken into custody at the Hague Tribunal, to which he laughed, and replied that he doubted there was anyone that did know where he was now. Karadzic said that there was an irregularity concerning the date of his arrest. He told the Hague court that he was arrested and held in an unknown location for three days, without the right to have an attorney or make a phone call. Serbian authorities said earlier that he was arrested on Monday, July 21, and that the public was notified of this the same evening. Karadzic today also wished to speak of the reason why he hid for 13 years, and mentioned a deal he had with U.S. Balkan envoy Richard Holbrooke, saying also that his life was in danger, and expressing fears that this danger "is not over". Earlier, the Hague Tribunal stated that Karadzic would be representing himself during his first appearance in court. According to a statement, upon his transfer to the Dutch capital, the former Bosnian Serb leader informed Deputy Court Secretary John Hawking that he would be representing himself. “During their meeting in prison on July 30, Karadzic informed the deputy secretary, and then confirmed this in written form, that he had chosen to represent himself during his first appearance before the trial chamber…and that he does not want to be represented by the duty defense counsel,” read the Tribunal statement. Meanwhile, Karadzic’s brother Luka has told Russian daily Izvestiya that at his first appearance at the Hague Tribunal, the former Bosnian Serb leader will state that he does not recognize that institution, that he does not consider himself to be guilty, and will give his views on the international community. The trial chamber will take the final decision on whether the suspect can defend himself or not. The members of his future legal team, lawyers Goran Petronijevic and Svetozar Vujacic, do not have work licenses for the Tribunal, while the third member, Toma Fila, who has years of experience defending Hague defendants, has said that his legal office will help too. Fila, however, said that he could not take Karadzic’s case because he had obligations towards other defendants whose trials at the Tribunal were ongoing. Karadzic is accused of genocide, involvement in genocide, murder, deportation, inhumane acts and other crimes allegedly committed against Bosniaks and Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the war in the former Yugoslavia republic. The former Bosnian Serb leader’s daughter Sonja Karadzic-Jovicevic stated that her father had used his one phone call from The Hague last night to call his wife Ljiljana Zelen-Karadzic. His family members were not allowed to come and see Karadzic while he was being held in Belgrade because their passports were confiscated by the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, precluding them from leaving the country. Radovan Karadzic during his first court appearance (FoNet) Trial chamber selected Hague Tribunal Chairman Fausto Pocar has named the members of the trial chamber for Radovan Karadzic’s trial, which will include judges Alfons Orie, Flavia Lattanzi from Italy, and Christine Van den Wyngaert from Belgium, said Tribunal spokeswoman Nerma Jelacic. Judge Orie, before whom Karadzic will appear today in court, will lead the pre-trial hearing, while Lattanzi and Van den Wynfaert will join him once the trial is under way, Jelacic told the Tanjug news agency. She could not say exactly when the trial would start, stating that it depended on the prosecution and the defense, and their preparations for the beginning of the main hearing before the trial chamber. “During the pre-trial hearing, Orie will lead the parties (prosecution and defense) through all the status conferences and will prepare them administratively and legally so that they’re ready for the the beginning of the trial,” Jelacic explained. This effectively means that the prosecution will have to inform the defense of the evidence it has against Karadzic, and the defense will have time to prepare investigations, Jelacic said, adding that all this would take time.

Karadžić makes court appearance, postpones plea

The indictment against him contains virtually all the crimes within the Hague Tribunal's purview, including genocide.

Karadžič informed the court that he will not enter his plea today, and agreed that the next date for him to appear before the judges will be August 29.

Before the indictment was read out, Karadžić said that he had "unseen advisers", but that he had decided to defend himself.

The former Bosnian Serb leader appeared before the court in a dark suit, clean shaven, looking much as he did during the Nineties.

Karadžić gave the court his official address in Pale, Bosnia-Hercegovina, as well as the address he had resided at during his "other identity", at 267 Jurija Gagarina St. in New Belgrade.

Orie asked him if there was anyone that needed to be informed that he had been taken into custody at the Hague Tribunal, to which he laughed, and replied that he doubted there was anyone that did know where he was now.

Karadžić said that there was an irregularity concerning the date of his arrest. He told the Hague court that he was arrested and held in an unknown location for three days, without the right to have an attorney or make a phone call.

Serbian authorities said earlier that he was arrested on Monday, July 21, and that the public was notified of this the same evening.

Karadžić today also wished to speak of the reason why he hid for 13 years, and mentioned a deal he had with U.S. Balkan envoy Richard Holbrooke, saying also that his life was in danger, and expressing fears that this danger "is not over".

Earlier, the Hague Tribunal stated that Karadžić would be representing himself during his first appearance in court. According to a statement, upon his transfer to the Dutch capital, the former Bosnian Serb leader informed Deputy Court Secretary John Hawking that he would be representing himself.

“During their meeting in prison on July 30, Karadžić informed the deputy secretary, and then confirmed this in written form, that he had chosen to represent himself during his first appearance before the trial chamber…and that he does not want to be represented by the duty defense counsel,” read the Tribunal statement.

Meanwhile, Karadžić’s brother Luka has told Russian daily Izvestiya that at his first appearance at the Hague Tribunal, the former Bosnian Serb leader will state that he does not recognize that institution, that he does not consider himself to be guilty, and will give his views on the international community.

The trial chamber will take the final decision on whether the suspect can defend himself or not.

The members of his future legal team, lawyers Goran Petronijević and Svetozar Vujačić, do not have work licenses for the Tribunal, while the third member, Toma Fila, who has years of experience defending Hague defendants, has said that his legal office will help too.

Fila, however, said that he could not take Karadžić’s case because he had obligations towards other defendants whose trials at the Tribunal were ongoing.

Karadžić is accused of genocide, involvement in genocide, murder, deportation, inhumane acts and other crimes allegedly committed against Bosniaks and Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the war in the former Yugoslavia republic.

The former Bosnian Serb leader’s daughter Sonja Karadžić-Jovićević stated that her father had used his one phone call from The Hague last night to call his wife Ljiljana Zelen-Karadžić.

His family members were not allowed to come and see Karadžić while he was being held in Belgrade because their passports were confiscated by the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, precluding them from leaving the country.

Trial chamber selected

Hague Tribunal Chairman Fausto Pocar has named the members of the trial chamber for Radovan Karadžić’s trial, which will include judges Alfons Orie, Flavia Lattanzi from Italy, and Christine Van den Wyngaert from Belgium, said Tribunal spokeswoman Nerma Jelačić.

Judge Orie, before whom Karadžić will appear today in court, will lead the pre-trial hearing, while Lattanzi and Van den Wynfaert will join him once the trial is under way, Jelačić told the Tanjug news agency.

She could not say exactly when the trial would start, stating that it depended on the prosecution and the defense, and their preparations for the beginning of the main hearing before the trial chamber.

“During the pre-trial hearing, Orie will lead the parties (prosecution and defense) through all the status conferences and will prepare them administratively and legally so that they’re ready for the the beginning of the trial,” Jelačić explained.

This effectively means that the prosecution will have to inform the defense of the evidence it has against Karadžić, and the defense will have time to prepare investigations, Jelačić said, adding that all this would take time.