Karadzic could face war crimes trial by October

FORMER Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic could go on trial as early as October 19 for war crimes and crimes against humanity, the pre-trial judge of the tribunal overseeing his case said yesterday.

Karadzic, the most prominent figure being prosecuted for crimes during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, was captured just over a year ago after 11 years on the run, and is representing himself.

Judge O-Gon Kwon proposed a start date of October 19 at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, assuming that all pending filings are resolved by then.

Karadzic faces 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including two charges of genocide over the 43-month siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslims at Srebrenica.

Last week he asked for the trial to be delayed by at least 10 months to give him time to prepare his case.

The trial should take no more than two and a half years, with a year each for prosecution and defence.