Karadzic says he will attend trial

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic said he would appear before the Hague war crimes tribunal today after boycotting his trial since it began last week, but only to argue for more time to prepare.

Mr Karadzic, who denies 11 charges including genocide for the Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslim men and boys during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, has refused to attend so far but said in a letter to the court he would do so today.

“I hope we will be able to find a solution which will lead to not only an expeditious trial, but a fair one,” he said in the letter released yesterday. He is representing himself. Earlier, one of Mr Karadzic’s legal advisers, Marko Sladojevic, stressed his client would need 10 more months to prepare and that he was likely to refuse a court-appointed lawyer to represent him.

Today’s hearing will consider options that include continuing the trial in Mr Karadzic’s absence, assigning legal counsel, seeking outside advice, or adjourning to allow assigned counsel time to prepare.

“I think the court now has to make a decision and appoint a lawyer for him,” said Axel Hagedorn, a Dutch lawyer representing the victims’ group Mothers of Srebrenica.