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Karadzic fails in latest bid to delay war crimes trial

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Thursday denied the latest attempt by former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to delay his war crimes trial. Karadzic argued that there had been a violation of his right to a fair hearing because the court had rejected previous evidentiary challenges. The ICTY dismissed Kardzic's motion, reasoning that:Until the final Judgement is issued in this case, the parties can only speculate as to what evidence the Chamber will admit, how that evidence will be evaluated, and what conclusions will be drawn from it. Should the Chamber base any conviction of the Accused solely on witness evidence that has not been subject to cross-examination, it will be for the Accused to raise that issue on appeal at the appropriate time. For these reasons, the Chamber is not satisfied that there has been any violation of the Accused's right to a fair trial which would justify a stay of the proceedings. Karadzic's trial is set to resume on Tuesday.Last month, Karadzic lost another motion to postpone his war crimes trial on charges related to crimes committed during the 1992-1995 Bosnian conflict. Karadzic claimed that a February ruling increasing the remuneration for his defense lawyers should also give him extra time to prepare for his case. Earlier in March, the ICTY heard opening statements in Karadzic's war crimes trial. Karadzic claimed that attacks against Bosnian Muslims were "staged," denying any involvement in war crimes.. In February, the ICTY rejected Karadzic's imposition of a court-appointed defense lawyer, claiming the right to legal assistance of his own choosing. Karadzic is defending himself against 11 counts, including genocide and murder.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on April 09, 2010 (boomark / email).