MICT rejects request by Karadzic for provisional release

The appeals chamber of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) in The Hague rejected the motions by former Bosnian Serb President Radovan Karadzic for his temporary and provisional release, the MICT announced on Tuesday.

On March 24, the trial chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) convicted Karadzic to 40 years imprisonment for alleged genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws and customs of war during the Bosnian War.

Karadzic had indicated he intended to file an appeal at the MICT, which will take over the case as the ICTY is due to close its doors next year.

During a status conference in April, Karadzic expressed his distress over the judgement, the conditions of his detention and claimed his health had declined in the past years.

His distress was followed by a motion for provisional release, allowing Karadzic to live in Republika Srpska for the duration of the appeal. In addition, he filed a motion for temporary release to Serbia to attend a memorial service of his brother, who recently passed away.

According to the appeals chamber, there is a risk of flight and the chamber is not convinced that Karadzic, if provisionally released, would surrender into the custody of the MICT if ordered to do so. Therefore the appeals chamber denied both motions. Endit