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Serb's War Crimes Trial Gets Bumpy Start

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 1, 2008

THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic had his first skirmishes with the U.N. war crimes tribunal Thursday: He was cut short by the judge when he tried to protest his arrest and was put on notice that the prosecution will object to his demand to represent himself.

During the initial session, Karadzic also claimed his seizure and trial violated a deal he made with the United States in 1996 that the case against him would be scrapped if he left politics and did not undermine the peace agreement that ended the Bosnian war.

Karadzic appeared at a plea hearing one day after he was extradited from Serbia to answer genocide and war crimes charges for the murder of thousands of Bosnian Muslims and Croats, and for directing a reign of terror during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.

He declined to enter a plea to the 11 charges against him, and told the judge he intended to act as his own attorney for the duration of the case.

Prosecutor Alan Tieger, however, asked the judge to caution Karadzic about the risks of conducting his own defense.

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