Karadzic supporters threaten violent demo

Hard-line supporters of Serbian mass killer Radovan Karadzic are threatening to bring violent chaos to Belgrade tomorrow with a huge rally in his support.

The former president will probably still be in the country after plans to extradite him to the UN war crimes tribunal on genocide charges hit delays today.

There were fears that the ultra-nationalists plan to prevent Karadzic’s extradition by force. The rally organisers – the right-wing Serbian Radical Party – were bringing in supporters in from all over Serbia and Bosnia.

The court in Belgrade dealing with the ex-Bosnian Serb leader’s case said today that his appeal against extradition had not yet arrived.

Karadzic’s lawyer Svetozar Vujacic admitted he posted the appeal at the last possible moment late on Friday, trying to delay Karadzic’s extradition until after the rally.

“Karadzic is a Bosnian Serb citizen, so it would be logical that the appeal was mailed from Bosnia,” Mr Vujacic said today. “I wouldn’t rule out that my appeal grows a beard and moustache before it gets here.”

Karadzic faces 11 charges at the UN tribunal, including genocide and conspiracy to commit genocide. He is accused of masterminding the 1995 slaughter of 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica and the siege of Sarajevo, which left 10,000 people dead.

He was captured a week ago in Belgrade, where he lived under an assumed identity.

Meanwhile at The Hague, prosecutors were studying Karadzic’s UN war crimes charge sheet to see if they need to update it before his trial begins. Prosecution spokeswoman Olga Kavran said prosecutors were considering possible new evidence.

Mr Vujacic said: “They (the authorities) are using all illegal means to try send him to The Hague before the rally.” “Karadzic and I want to make sure it does not happen.”

Once Serb judges decide on the appeal – which they are likely to reject – the case will be handed over to the Serbian government, which issues the final extradition order.

Karadzic’s brother Luka Karadzic visited him in jail today, taking him two suits.

Serbia’s new, pro-Western government hopes that Karadzic’s arrest will strengthen the country’s bid for European Union membership. Serbia had been accused previously of not searching for those sought by the UN tribunal.

Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said over the weekend that Serbia does not know where Karadzic’s colleague, former Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic, is hiding.