Karadzic Seeks Trial Postponement

Radovan Karadzic has asked for his trial be postponed for three weeks to allow him to review audio and video recordings found in the apartment of Ratko Mladic’s wife. The “Mladic tapes”, an assortment of meeting notes, 93 audio and 10 video tapes, two CDs and eight DVDs, were found during a search of the Belgrade apartment of Mladic’s wife in March and given to Karadzic’s defence on August 4. In his request for a delay, Karadzic said in a statement he had spent the entire judicial recess reviewing “Mladic’s notebooks”. The motion stated: “The notes reviewed so far indicate that many of them go in favour of Karadzic’s defence, confirming his statements and stands. He expects the review of tapes to yield significant acquitting evidence. “However, it … will take about 113 hours to review the materials. Unless the trial is postponed, Karadzic will not have enough time to do it before the next summer break. “Although the prosecution is not to be blamed for disclosing Mladic’s materials in the middle of the trial, the fact that the chamber insists on proceeding with the trial at the same pace … deprives the indictee of the right to a fair trial,” it read. Karadzic said prosecution witnesses has attended meetings mentioned in Mladic’s notes, which could mean the defence needed to recall them. Prior to the beginning of the trial, Karadzic filed several motions, asking for postponement in order for him to adequately prepare for his defence. The court rejected his requests. Karadzic is charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and violation of the laws and customs of war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His trial began in October 2009 and is scheduled to continue on August 17 after a one-month summer break. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, has been searching for Mladic, the former commander of the Main Headquarters of the Republika Srpska Army, VRS, for more than 10 years.