Karadzic Hopes to Dimiss His Indictment

[CroRadio.net]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=5965302



Karadzic Hopes to Dimiss His Indictment
Karadzic Files Motion With UN War Crimes Court to Turn Over Evidence
on Alleged Deal to Avoid Prosecution
THE HAGUE, Netherlands October 6, 2008 (AP)
The Associated Press



Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic attends a hearing at the
United Nations tribunal in The... Expand
Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic attends a hearing at the
United Nations tribunal in The Hague August 29, 2008. The U.N.
tribunal for the former Yugoslavia entered a plea of not guilty on
behalf of Karadzic for war crimes and genocide charges on Friday after
he refused to enter one. At his second plea hearing before his trial
for charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the 1992-95
Bosnian war, Karadzic refused to enter pleas for all of the charges
against him. Collapse
(Valerie Kuypers/Reuters)

Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic wants U.N. war crimes
prosecutors to turn over any evidence they have about an alleged deal
he cut to avoid prosecution, saying he wants to use it in a motion to
have his indictment dismissed.

In a motion released Monday, Karadzic asks the Yugoslav war crimes
tribunal to order prosecutors to turn over any material they have
about a deal he claims he made with U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke in
July 1996.

Karadzic said in the motion that the deal promised he would not face
prosecution if he "agreed to withdraw completely from public life."


He claims the deal is relevant to his case because Holbrooke made it
on behalf of the U.N. Security Council — the body that established the
tribunal. Holbrooke has repeatedly denied making such a deal with
Karadzic.

Prosecutors did not immediately file a response to the motion.

Karadzic faces charges including two counts of genocide for allegedly
masterminding atrocities by Bosnian Serb forces during the 1992-95
Bosnian war including the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica
and the deadly siege of Sarajevo.

If he is convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Karadzic was arrested in Belgrade in July after 13 years on the run
from international justice. His former military chief, Gen. Ratko
Mladic, is still on the run.