Former Bosnian Serb military chief General Ratko Mladic has told a United Nations war crimes court he is “a gravely ill man” and refused to enter pleas to “obnoxious charges” alleging he orchestrated the worst atrocities of a war that claimed 100,000 lives.

Former Bosnian Serb military chief General Ratko Mladic told a United Nations war crimes court today that he is “a gravely ill man”.

Protesters throwing stones and bottles clashed with baton-wielding riot police in Belgrade after several thousand Serbian nationalist supporters of jailed war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic rallied outside the parliament building to demand his release.

The woman described by Serbian tabloids as the mistress of Radovan Karadzic denied the claims, saying her world collapsed when she discovered the man she befriended and respected was the war crimes fugitive.

The deadline for Radovan Karadzic to appeal against his handover to the United Nations war crimes court passed today with the lawyer for the ex-Bosnian Serb warlord refusing to confirm he had taken that step.