War crimes suspect Hadzic refuses to plea

Suspected Croatian war criminal Goran Hadzic has appeared before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, but refuses to plea

Reuters/Stringer

Serbia's last major war crimes suspect, he refused to enter a plea on charges over the 1991-1995 Croatian war when he made his first appearance at the tribunal on Monday.

Hadzic faces 14 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war in Croatia between 1991 and 1995.

“Your honour, Mr Hadzic is not going to enter a plea today,” his lawyer Vladimir Petrovic told a judge before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague.

Hadzic, 52, is the last fugitive among 161 indicted before the ICTY and is wanted on 14 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war in Croatia between 1991 and 1995.

According to the ICTY’s rules, Hadzic asked to be granted a 30-day delay before the judge will again put the same question to him. If he doesn’t plea, an automatic “not guilty” plea will be entered on his behalf.

Arrested in northern Serbia last Wednesday after seven years on the run, Hadzic is wanted for his involvement in the Vukovar massacre in November 1991 were 260 Croats and other non-Serbs were murdered by Serb forces.