Mladic faces international justice for the first time

Ratko Mladic has made his first appearance before a UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague. The former military commander of the Bosnian Serbs has said he does not want to enter pleas to the 11 charges he faces, which include genocide and crimes against humanity relating to the war in Bosnia in the 1990’s.

The 69-year-old told the court he was gravely ill and had not had time to read the details of the indictment. He described the charges against him as obnoxious and said he did not want the indictment read out in court.

Mladic refused to enter a plea. He has thirty days to do so before a plea of not guilty is entered automatically on his behalf.

The hearing has now gone into private session. Mladic’s next court appearance is scheduled for July the 4th.

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