Mladic to boycott UN war crimes court
Source: Agencies |
July 4, 2011, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
FORMER Bosnian Serb military chief Ratko Mladic will boycott the UN war crimes court, where he is scheduled today to enter a plea against charges of genocide during the Bosnian war, his lawyer said.
Arrested in May after 16 years on the run, Mladic was formally charged by the Yugoslavia tribunal in The Hague last month when the defiant general rejected war crimes charges against him as "obnoxious" and "monstrous."
The 69-year-old career soldier is due to enter a plea today, after refusing to do so last month, but Belgrade-based attorney Milos Saljic said Mladic will boycott the hearing to demand that he be represented by his own defense lawyers.
"Mladic is not going to appear in the courtroom tomorrow unless he is forced to. He does not want to do it because he does not have his team of lawyers yet," Saljic said.
Mladic is accused over a campaign to seize territory for Serbs after Bosnia broke away from the Yugoslav federation in the 1990s as the Balkan state broke up during five years of war that killed at least 130,000 people.
If Mladic boycotts the hearing or refuses to enter a plea at today's hearing, judge Alphens Orie will likely enter one of "not guilty" for him. It is unlikely that the tribunal would force Mladic to appear in court against his will.
"The tribunal has no official indication or confirmation that Mladic is not going to appear so I am unable to comment," court spokeswoman Nerma Jelacic said.
Arrested in May after 16 years on the run, Mladic was formally charged by the Yugoslavia tribunal in The Hague last month when the defiant general rejected war crimes charges against him as "obnoxious" and "monstrous."
The 69-year-old career soldier is due to enter a plea today, after refusing to do so last month, but Belgrade-based attorney Milos Saljic said Mladic will boycott the hearing to demand that he be represented by his own defense lawyers.
"Mladic is not going to appear in the courtroom tomorrow unless he is forced to. He does not want to do it because he does not have his team of lawyers yet," Saljic said.
Mladic is accused over a campaign to seize territory for Serbs after Bosnia broke away from the Yugoslav federation in the 1990s as the Balkan state broke up during five years of war that killed at least 130,000 people.
If Mladic boycotts the hearing or refuses to enter a plea at today's hearing, judge Alphens Orie will likely enter one of "not guilty" for him. It is unlikely that the tribunal would force Mladic to appear in court against his will.
"The tribunal has no official indication or confirmation that Mladic is not going to appear so I am unable to comment," court spokeswoman Nerma Jelacic said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
