Karadzic Is To Defend Himself in U.N. Tribunal

An excerpt article from CNN

"BELGRADE, Serbia (CNN) -- Former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic, who has been indicted on war crimes charges, plans to defend himself in front of a U.N. tribunal, his lawyer said.

1 of 3 The lawyer, Sveta Vujacic, also said he will appeal the ruling allowing Karadzic's transfer to the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) at The Hague.

But Vujacic told CNN Tuesday that Karadzic, 63, will defend himself at the war crimes court.

Karadzic -- one of Europe's most wanted men -- had been sought for more than 12 years before his arrest.

Authorities have said Karadzic was stopped Monday afternoon while he was traveling through the northern part of Belgrade. Vujacic disputed the account, saying the former fugitive was arrested last week and held in secret for three days.

Karadzic was charged with genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the law of war -- charges related to the 1992-1995 civil war that followed Bosnia-Herzegovina's secession from Yugoslavia.

After Karadzic was taken into custody, an investigating judge approved his transfer to The Hague.

Serbian officials told CNN they are trying to make the extradition happen as soon as possible, but Vujacic said he is hoping to slow it down. Vujacic, who has three days in which to file the appeal, told CNN he will mail it from a location outside Belgrade so he can put off extradition for as long as he can.

One of the reasons for delaying the appeal is to give Karadzic's wife and family in Bosnia a chance to visit him in Belgrade, Vujacic said.

In January, the high representative in Bosnia seized the travel documents of Karadzic's wife, son, daughter, and son-in-law, saying they threatened the peace process in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Vujacic said he hopes the high representative will return their documents so they can travel to Serbia and visit his client. Consultations on the matter are ongoing, said Ljiljana Radetic, spokeswoman for the Office of the High Representative of the European Union.

More details emerged Wednesday about the remarkable life Karadzic managed to lead while a fugitive -- a life that allowed him to hide in plain sight.

Karadzic changed his appearance, growing a long, white beard and a bushy mustache, and wearing glasses. Authorities said he practiced alternative medicine at a Belgrade clinic, and he even attended public forums on alternative medicine under his alias, Dragan Dabic.

He lived in an apartment in the densely populated area of the capital known as New Belgrade. Neighbors said they noticed him because he was always dressed in black.

"I remember we were sitting there and wondering and talking about his appearance," said Rusica, a neighbor. "He was strange because of his white beard and long hair."

Not even his landlords knew who Karadzic was, Serb officials said.

Authorities said they found Karadzic while following people believed to be part of a network that protected him."

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