Mladics Trial Postponed Due to His Health
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The presiding judge, Alfons Ori, said that the Trial Chamber has been informed on Thursday that Mladic will remain in hospital for 24 hours.
Mladic will be having additional medical examinations. We will receive in the afternoon more information regarding his health, which may effect the continuation of the process, said Ori.
Mladics medical report has been sent to the judges yesterday, but because of its confidentiality it was not read out during the Fridays short hearing.
The defence lawyer, Branko Lukic, told the media that the health of his client is still endangered, but that Mladic feels better than yesterday when he was taken sick during the hearing.
It is obvious that these long trial sessions left mark on his health. Therefore, we will try to get shorter sessions and fewer days of hearings during the week, said Lukic.
He added that doctors say that Mladics medical problems are related to high blood pressure or high level of sugar in his blood.
Since he previously suffered three strokes and yesterday in the courtroom he couldnt move his right leg and arm, we suspected that he had one more. However, after the medical examinations it is determined that there are no changes to his brain, he added.
Mladics health has been an issue at The Hague since proceedings began. Both victims associations and Mladics former comrades fear that he will not make it until the end of trial.
The victims are worried that Mladic might not live long enough to hear his verdict, while his comrades fear that if he dies unexpectedly he will not be able to prove his innocence.
Mladic, who was arrested in May last year, has pleaded not guilty to charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war during the Bosnian conflict between 1992 and 1995.
The trial should resume on July 16, when it is expected that the cross-examination of David Harland, former UN official, will continue, while the testimony of Richard Dannat, the former commander of the UK Armed forces might be postponed for July 23.
