Legal News

Humor of Radovan Karadzic Falls Flat in The Hague

By Dan Slater

Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, left, and Gen. Ratko Mladic attend an assembly session in Pale, near Sarajevo, Bosnia. (AP Photo/Srdjan Ilic )

Last time we checked in on Radovan Karadzic, who’s accused of genocide and other war crimes against Muslim and Croatian civilians during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990’s, he’d declared his plans to appear pro se in The Hague. Today, he appeared in court in The Hague for the second time since his arrest and laid out his defense strategy: He refused to enter pleas to all 11 charges against him and dismissed the war crimes tribunal as “a court of NATO” which was posing falsely as a court of the international community. Here’s the NYT report.

Apparently, Karadzic has been a quite aggressive advocate for himself. According to the Times, he has already filed lengthy motions, letters and requests. He wants copies of warrants to search his former home, copies of orders to freeze his assets, answers to his challenge of the legitimacy of the court. He has demanded an explanation if NATO or the United States intends to kill him, as he has claimed.

Reportedly, when Karadzic wasn’t taking shots at the court’s legitimacy, he was trying — vainly — to joke with the judge.

“Count one of the indictment,” the judge began. “You are charged with genocide. How do you plead, guilty or not guilty?”

Karadzic replied: “I will not plead.”

In keeping with court rules, the judge said, he would enter for all 11 charges the words “not guilty.”

Karadzic then resumed his seat and called out: “May I hold you to your word?”

“Which word?” asked the judge.

“That I’m not guilty,” said Karadzic.

“We shall see in due course,” the judge replied.

The next hearing was set for Sept. 17.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on August 29, 2008 (boomark / email).