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Karadicz boycotts opening of war crimes trial
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by albertacowpoke | October 26, 2009 at 03:03 am
94 views | 40 Recommendations | 7 comments
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Radovan Karadicz war crimes trial was scheduled to start today in The Hague, Netherlands.
The trial was stopped abruptly when Karadicz failed to show up for the trial. Karadicz is representing himself at the trial. The judges said if Karadicz would continue to boycott the hearings they would appoint a lawyer for him.
Karadicz is charged with warcrimes commtted in Bosnia, including the genocide in Srbenica where Muslim men were gunned down and the siege of Sarajevo.
Karadicz claims that he was granted immunity by the Clinton Administration, a fact refuted by those involved in negotiations for the Dayton Accord.
UN judges have abruptly adjourned Radovan Karadzic's war crimes trial after the former Bosnian Serb leader boycotted the opening day to protest his lack of time to prepare his defence.
Judge O-Gon Kwon noted the absence of Karadzic or of any defence attorney representing him as the trial at The Hague began 15 months after Karadzic was captured in Serbia.
The judges agreed to adjourn shortly thereafter. The trial will recommence on Tuesday.
The prosecution was due to present its case Monday and Tuesday. Karadzic, who is representing himself, had been scheduled to outline his case next week.
Kwon said if Karadzic continued to be absent, judges would consider appointing a lawyer to represent him.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (7)
at 07:46 on October 26th, 2009
This is pathetic.
at 11:38 on October 26th, 2009
That it is Paschen.
at 11:50 on October 26th, 2009
I was appalled but alas not shocked to hear this earlier today. It'll be interesting to see if he turns up at all or if he will continue to prevaricate.
at 12:03 on October 26th, 2009
Right now he has opted to defend himself, but if he continues to boycott the proceedings the judges have declared that they will appoint a lawyer to defend him. The choice is his. He can go and face the music in person or be tried in absentia.
at 15:05 on October 26th, 2009
The stories I have read about the deaths in Sarajevo are unbelievable. 10,000 deaths in four years and 56,000 wounded. What kind of defense can he have against this?
at 19:36 on October 26th, 2009
I was in Sarajevo during the worst of these events. There is a book by the Canadian General Lou MacKenzie called Soldiers made me look good. He was at the airport in Sarajevo during the siege. The UN was totally incompetent to do anything about it. You can't mount a decent defense against hatred.
The former Yugoslavia consists of three dominant ethnic groups, Serbs, Croats and Muslims. The initial Slavic people that settled in the Balkans were Orthodox Catholics. They were occupied by the Ottoman Empire which created the Muslims, which were back then seen as traitors. When the Austrian Hungarian Empire occupied the Balkans another portion of the population became Roman Catholics, which are now the Croats.
The hatred in that country goes back 800 + years and is passed from generation to generation. Marhall Tito was able to keep them under control, similar to what Saddam Hussein did in Iraq.
When Tito died the old hatreds resurfaced and long time neighbours were now enemies.
There is no defense against this, as there is no guarantee that it will happen all over again both in Iraq and the former Yugoslavia.
It will take generations of relative prosperity to rid these people of this hatred.
at 20:32 on October 26th, 2009
I saw a documentary about Sevdah Music from Bosnia, and although I don't understand their language, the yearning and pain could be felt as they played and sang songs about their individual lives. There were interviews of some of the survivors, and they told of their struggles and how their music helps them deal with what happen to them. If anyone deserves to have peace, it is them.