Karadzic: Proposals for More Efficient and Faster Trial

With the aim of speeding up the trial the Hague Prosecution suggested, at a status conference held at Radovan Karadzic’s trial, that all documents proposed for inclusion in the case file be submitted in the form of a written motion containing a detailed explanation of their relevance. The indictee objected to the proposal.

“We estimate that we would be able to reduce the time needed for evidence presentation if we introduce the evidence via written motions. We would need less than the 300 hours originally granted to the Prosecution,” Prosecutor Alan Tiger said.

The indictee said that the measures for speeding up the trial and facilitating the admission of documents were detrimental to him.

“If you want to sentence the indictee by all means, why would you introduce so many documents? In that case you can bring just five documents. But, if the purpose of the trial is to determine what actually happened, and there can be no reconciliation or life without doing so, it will take time to complete the process,” Karadzic said.

Judge Kwon said that if the trial proceeded at its current pace with four hearings held per week, the verdict might be pronounced by July 2013.

The Hague Prosecution has charged Karadzic, former President of Republika Srpska, RS, with genocide committed in Srebrenica and ten other Bosnian municipalities, as well as “the sniper and shelling campaign in Sarajevo” from 1992 to 1995.

The Trial Chamber warned Karadzic that he sometimes used time allocated for cross-examination for posing “irrelevant questions and extensive reading of documents”. He responded by saying that he did so in order to prove that “a witness was not honest and had to face some eminently opposite facts”.

“I must pose some questions that may seem irrelevant, but they are actually very relevant. I can understand the Chamber’s concern about the fact that I read too many documents, but you should also understand me, as this trial is turning into a paper trial. This trial will certainly go into the history books because of the way it treats one nation and its leadership. If we set up bad foundations, our neighbours will think they are right,” Karadzic said.

At the status conference the Defence proposed that some parts of the indictment be reduced as a way to make the trial shorter. The Prosecution said this would lead to the “mutilation” of large parts of criminal responsibility mentioned in the indictment. 

The trial is due to continue on September 6.

E.M.