Gen Mladic responds to the charges in The Hague

ByaseL · 2011-06-03T11:14:10+00:00

BBC News Ex-Bosnian Serb army head Ratko Mladic has made his first appearance at The Hague war crimes tribunal, saying he will not enter a plea to the "monstrous" and "obnoxious" charges. He is charged with atrocities during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, including the massacre of nearly 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995. Gen Mladic, who said he was "gravely ill", told the court he had been "defending my people and my country". He was arrested last week in Serbia. The tribunal indictment charges him with genocide, persecution, extermination, murder, deportation, inhumane acts, terror, deportation and hostage-taking. Prosecutors say this was his part in a plot to achieve the "elimination or permanent removal" of Muslims from large parts of Bosnia in pursuit of a Greater Serbia. As well as Srebrenica, Europe's worst atrocity since World War II, Gen Mladic is also charged over the 44-month siege of the capital Sarajevo from May 1992 in which 10,000 people died. His lawyer and his family say he is too ill to stand trial but doctors have so far declared him fit to be in court. 'Be patient' In his first hearing before the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Gen Mladic was asked if he could understand the proceedings and he confirmed that he could. He gave his name and date of birth, although the date was different from the court records. Court-appointed Serbian lawyer Aleksandar Aleksic represented Gen Mladic at the hearing. Gen Mladic may choose a permanent counsel for the trial later, or opt to conduct his own defence. Judge Alphons Orie said the purpose of the hearing was to list the charges against Gen Mladic and ask him for a plea. Gen Mladic's rights were read out in court, but he said: "I am a gravely ill man and need more time to understand what was read out, so please be patient." The judge then asked if Gen Mladic had read and understood the indictment against him. Gen Mladic said he needed at least two months to read the three binders of documents that had been brought to him. However, Mr Aleksic said he believed his client had understood the indictment. Gen Mladic then told the judge: "I do not want a single letter or sentence of that indictment to be read out to me." However, the judge proceeded to read out an annotated version of the charges. At some points, Gen Mladic shook his head. When asked to enter a plea, he said the charges were "monstrous" and he needed more than a month to respond. If Gen Mladic does not enter a plea within 30 days, the judges will enter pleas of not guilty on his behalf.

Thread starter ByaseL
Start date Jun 3, 2011

ByaseL

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Gen Mladic responds to the charges in The Hague

ByaseL

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