Karadzic: Revised indictment to be filed by noon

The Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY, has approved the Prosecution’s proposal for reconsideration of the indictment against Radovan Karadzic, which will now also include the murder of 140 people in Susica detention camp.

The Chamber said that the revised indictment had to be filed with the Court by noon on February 27. It also scheduled another hearing on March 3, at which the indictee is due to appear in court and enter a plea.

Karadzic, former President of Republika Srpska, RS, and General Commander of the RS Armed Forces, is charged by the Hague Prosecution with numerous crimes committed in various parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including genocide in Srebrenica and ten other municipalities.

The Court approved most of the revised indictment against Karadzic on February 17. However, it ordered incidents in the “Petar Kocic” school building in Bosanska Krupa, murder in Kasindolska Street in Sarajevo and the murder of 140 people in Susica detention camp to be removed from the indictment “due to lack of adequate evidence”.

In response, the Prosecution asked for additional time to obtain evidence concerning the incident in Susica, which was originally missing, it said, “due to a clerical mistake”.

The Trial Chamber has expressed concern that the Prosecution could have made such a mistake related to such important documents. However, the Chamber said it recognized the difficulties facing the parties in such complex cases as well as the fact that the Prosecution had immediately taken the necessary steps to correct the mistake and offered an apology.