The Trial Judgement in the case of Radovan Karadžić is scheduled to be rendered on Thursday, 24 March at 14:00 in Courtroom 1. Karadžić, former President of Republika Srpska, Head of the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) and Supreme Commander of the Bosnian Serb Army (VRS), is one of the highest ranking officials to be tried by the Tribunal.
Karadžić is charged for his participation in four Joint Criminal Enterprises (JCE). The Prosecution alleges that from at least October 1991 to 30 November 1995, the Accused participated in an “overarching” JCE, the objective of which was to permanently remove Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats from Bosnian-Serb claimed territory in BiH through the commission of genocide, persecution, extermination, murder, deportation, and forcible transfer.
The Prosecution further alleges that between April 1992 and November 1995, the Accused participated in a JCE to carry out a campaign of sniping and shelling against the civilian population of Sarajevo, the primary purpose of which was to spread terror.
He is also charged for having participated, between the days preceding 11 July 1995 and 1 November 1995, in a JCE to eliminate the Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica by killing the men and boys of Srebrenica and forcibly removing the women, young children and elderly men from Srebrenica. The Prosecution alleges that this objective amounted to or included the commission of genocide, persecution, extermination, murder, deportation and forcible transfer.
Finally, during May and June 1995, the Accused participated in a JCE to take hostage United Nations personnel in order to compel NATO to abstain from conducting air strikes against Bosnian Serb military targets
The first witness was heard on 13 April 2010 and closing arguments finished on 7 October 2014. The Trial Chamber sat on a total of 497 days during which 11,500 exhibits were admitted. The evidence of 586 witnesses has been presented: 337 by the Prosecution; 248 by the Defence and one by the Trial Chamber.
Since its establishment, the Tribunal has indicted 161 persons for serious violations of humanitarian law committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2001. Proceedings against 149 have been concluded. Proceedings are currently open for 12 Accused with 4 at trial stage and 8 before the Appeals Chamber.
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The Judgement will be broadcast live on the Tribunal’s website
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