Judge Suspends War Crimes Trial Of Ratko Mladic

[shawn703]

Source: NPR

A judge suspended Ratko Mladic's genocide and war crimes trial indefinitely Thursday after prosecutors failed to disclose thousands of documents to the former Bosnian Serb military chief's defense team — a ruling that could delay the trial for months.

Presiding Judge Alphons Orie said he was delaying the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal case due to "significant disclosure errors" by prosecutors, who are obliged to share all evidence with Mladic's lawyers.

The announcement is a significant setback for the court in one of its highest profile cases, its final trial to focus on atrocities committed during the 1992-95 Bosnian war, which left over 100,000 dead.

Orie said judges will analyze the "scope and full impact" of the error and aim to establish a new starting date "as soon as possible." The presentation of evidence was supposed to begin later this month.


Read more: http://www.npr.org/2012/05/17/152897564/judge-suspends-war-crimes-trial-of-ratko-mladic

[Poll_Blind]

1. This is an exceedingly strange "error" on the prosecution's part, and presumed intentional.

I have no idea exactly what their game plan is unless it's to fuck up their own prosecution.



OnEdit: Maybe they believe Mladic is in such ill health that if they foot drag he'll die before the proceedings conclude?

PB