It's a shame that the internet is a virtual medium, because there are a lot of people out there that I'd like to express my deep feelings of friendship to, and having spent the last two years here in Serbia, I'd like to do it in a truly Serbian way.
Karadzic: Trial postponed until March 2010
| 05 November 2009 | BIRN Justice Report
ICTY
"No defence attorney, even the most experienced and efficient, can be reasonably expected to assist an indictee and the court proceedings without having enough time for preparation. For this reason it will be necessary to postpone the continuation of the trial for a few months. (...) This case is clearly a voluminous one. The defence attorney will have to read several thousand documents in order to be able properly to examine Prosecution witnesses," the Trial Chamber stated.
The Trial Chamber's decision to appoint a defence attorney is based on the conclusion that Karadzic has "substantially and persistently" obstructed the sequential and expeditious conduct of the trial by refusing to attend hearings until he "considered himself ready".
Karadzic, former President of Republika Srpska and Supreme Commander of its armed forces, is charged, before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, with genocide, crimes against humanity and violation of the laws and customs of war on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 to 1995.
He was arrested in Serbia in July 2008. His trial began on October 26 this year.
At the two hearings held so far the Prosecution presented introductory arguments. The indictee did not attend the hearings, stating that he would not attend the trial until he is ready to defend himself. In a motion filed with the Tribunal prior to the beginning of the trial, which was subsequently rejected by the Tribunal, Karadzic asked the Court to allow him ten more months to prepare his defence.
Following the presentation of the Prosecution's introductory arguments, a status conference was held on November 3, at which the Prosecution presented possible options for the further course of the trial if Karadzic continued "boycotting it". Some of the proposed options included appointment of a defence attorney or continuation of the trial in the absence of the indictee.
Since his first appearance before the Tribunal, Karadzic has insisted on representing himself, because, he says, he is the only person who can understand "the complicated facts" that existed in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the course of the war.
"Considering the basic right to self-representation, the indictee will continue defending himself by dealing with daily issues that come up, such as filing motions and responses, as well as by continuing his preparations for the trial," the Chamber's decision reads.
However, as stated by the Chamber, Karadzic will lose his right to self-representation if he continues to refuse to attend the trial as of March 2010 or disturbs the trial in any other way. In that case, the appointed defence attorney will represent him before the Tribunal.
"The Trial Chamber encourages the indictee to discuss hi defence and cooperate fully with the designated defence attorney in order to use the time available for preparation in the best possible manner," the decision says.
