Skip to main contentAccess keys helpA-Z index

BBC News Updated every minute of every day



Have Your Say

Send us your feedback

New visitors:  Create your membership
Returning members:  Sign in
This debate is now closed.

What are you expecting from the Karadzic trial?

The genocide and war crimes trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has resumed in The Hague in his absence, a day after it was adjourned. What would you like to see emerge from the trial?

Mr Karadzic is boycotting the trial, saying he needs more time to prepare his defence. But the court ruled the trial could begin without him.

He faces 11 charges including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, relating to the Bosnian war of the 1990s - charges which he denies.

What are you expecting from The Hague trial? Do you think it should proceed in Mr Karadzic's absence? Can it bring justice for the victims of the Bosnian war?

Read the full story

Published: Monday, 26 October, 2009, 11:49 GMT 11:49 UK

All comments as they come in

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 11:01 GMT 11:01 UK

What I expect from the trial of Radovan Karadzic:

In terms of justice for the victims - nothing. No penalty can match their sorrow and these pathetic sentences only have a counter-effect on the victims.

In terms of developing jurisprudence of international criminal law - it will make it clear that excessive rights given to defendant during the process cannot be permitted as their side-effects presented in Seselj, Milosevic cases contravene justice and the credibility of the Court.

Damir, Sarajevo

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 10:39 GMT 10:39 UK

A mockery of justice - try him now and finish it.

Mark Newdick, Danbury, CT, United States

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 10:33 GMT 10:33 UK

None of the dead will come back alas, if he is found guilty sure he should be punished, the sooner all the hypocrites get off their high horses the better though, just look around the world causes of pain and sorrow have been where colonial powers have plundered and destroyed, leaving the local populations in a mess, india-pakistan kashmir, kurdiistan?cyprus?etc divide and rule. Ironic though how nobody jumps in to attack china over it's treatment of it's muslim population isn't it?

dimitri, nicosia

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 08:25 GMT 08:25 UK

Karadzic just had to defend integrity of a sovereign and internationally recognized state of Yugoslavia against armed separatists, who had committed many crimes against Serbs. Muslim and Croat perpetrators escaped severe punishment. If Muslims and Croats have a right to secede, Serbs are liable to secede as well. This kangaroo court is illegal and must be dissolved yesterday. Those who deny freedom to others cannot long retain it.

Chapaev, Russia

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 08:23 GMT 08:23 UK

Without any verdict how could people be so sure in their judgement? - knowing nothing about their own criminals, but Bosnia's.
It looks that everybody was present in Bosnia that time...

Tibor TK, Neuss

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 07:56 GMT 07:56 UK

What are you expecting from the Karadzic trial? Very little. Its a show trial.

John Evans, Caerffili, United Kingdom

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 05:25 GMT 05:25 UK

The trial of Karadzic is a being led by him ,he chose to defend himself,but he should not be allowed to disrupt the proceedings for his own ends. I doubt the outcome will reflect the enormity of his crimes and I would only see justice done if he were to be incarcerated for life or better yet put to death for what he did to thousands of of his "fellow"countrymen.He exterminated entire families and the nature of these atrocities is horrendous, I see no sign of shame/remorse in his countenance.

sheila, shropshire

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 04:36 GMT 04:36 UK

Contemplating the possibility that this cannot go on is a symptom of how far we have fallen. This obsession with cooperation has extended to the belief that we must somehow have the cooperation of killers in order to try and punish them. Grow up, try him and move on.

Mike Nowak, PA, United States

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 02:46 GMT 02:46 UK

Lot's of hot air, pontificating wind bags and a rich topping of self righteousness.

wolfie, ampang

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 24:38 GMT 00:38 UK

Karadzic on trial in a UN court;the UN who stood by&witnessed the horrors firsthand;whose Sbrebrenica 'safe area' became the site of Europe's worst massacre since WW2;who released Plavsic early for 'good behaviour'.Not once has the UN given this man reason to believe his actions would carry any consequences.Is it any wonder he treats the court with contempt.The question is CAN the UN deliver justice or will the last chapter of this Balkan Tradgedy end in more heartache for the people of Bosnia?

Beck, Melbourne

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 24:19 GMT 00:19 UK

Keep in mind that NATO slaughtered many civilians via its own- far from smart-aerial bombing, and Islamic extremists, now active Al Quaeda, were encouraged by the West to fight Serbs.

Paul Papadopoulos, Athens, Greece

Perhaps we should also keep in mind that one of the few friends of Serbia throughout the atrocities was the also Orthodox Christian Greece. The Islamic people of Yugoslavia were resisting Serb nationalism long before "the West" was involved. Are you calling them "extremists"?

Tom, Exeter

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 24:11 GMT 00:11 UK

This "trial" is more about NATO trying to justify re-Drawing the Serbian Map than anything else. Karadzic like previous Serbs are simply deemed Expendable to the self-serving exercise.
Every once in a while the usual predators must Project Power to send the message.
Shame really, because Serbia was a Dependable WWII ALLY.

Out of Africa, Slave or Shark Bait NOT

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Thursday, 29 October, 2009, 24:00 GMT 00:00 UK

I've been reading for quite a while now about the Yugoslav wars, and the thing I dont really understand is how come only Serbs are being accussed of war crimes and on the other hand a very small number of Croats and Bosnians?! Or the media doesn't do a very good job on reporting all of that... Also, what's with the Albanian war criminals? Haradinaj (I think I spelled it right) was found not guilty?! I mean come on... Give Serbia a break, and write a bit more objective than this!

Mike, Minneapolis

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Wednesday, 28 October, 2009, 23:21 GMT 23:21 UK

The Karadzic Trial will last about 3 years. Most of the victims will die of old age or fright. I like the Chinese method of justice better. It is quick and to the point. No long wait until the world and the victims loose interest. Rejection material, but true all the same. Truth when thrown to the Earth always rises.

Mary Gravitt, Iowa City, Iowa, United States

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

Added: Wednesday, 28 October, 2009, 21:46 GMT 21:46 UK

I am hoping against hope, that he also stands side by side with bush, blair et al for crimes against humanity.
State terrorism is rarely challenged, as being any part of the problems caused in eastern bloc countries.
How can we expect to punish somebody, for something we condone ourselves. (The World)!
He has not done anything that 'WE' are NOT doing at this moment, without recourse to the wrath of the law!
Wakey wakey.

klaus vonmegawatt

Recommended by 0 people

Alert a Moderator

This Have Your Say is 
CLOSED

DEBATE STATUS

Total comments:
917
Published comments:
483
Rejected comments:
434
No further comments will be published as debate is now closed

MOST POPULAR NOW

From Have Your Say

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

bbc sport Americas Africa Europe Middle East South Asia Asia Pacific