Karadzic says he has document proving existence of Holbrooke agreement

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic says the United States has provided him with a document proving he signed an agreement in 1996 with the US envoy in the Balkans at that time, Richard Holbrooke, guaranteeing him immunity before The Hague war crimes tribunal in exchange for leaving politics.

In a statement to the tribunal quoted by the media Wednesday (April 22nd), Karadzic said that he received a document from the US government on April 15th, which he described as a diplomatic wire dated July 22nd 1996 and sent by the State Department to then US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina John Menzies. Holbrooke has insisted there was no deal.