Karadzic trial set to continue next Monday

The trial officially started on Monday but was adjourned for a day after a 15-minute sitting due to Karadzic's absence.

Radovan Karadzic's genocide trial will continue next Monday after proceeding in his absence Tuesday, the judge said, ordering an extra hearing on how to deal with his boycott of the proceedings.

- Should the accused maintain his absence from the proceedings on Monday there will be a hearing on Tuesday, November 3, at which the chamber will hear oral submissions - on how to proceed, presiding judge O-Gon Kwon said.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia heard the first part of the prosecutor's opening statement on Tuesday, during which he which he branded Karadzic the "supreme commander" of an ethnic cleansing campaign of Muslims and Croats during Bosnia's 1992-95 war.

The trial officially started on Monday but was adjourned for a day after a 15-minute sitting due to Karadzic's absence.

Karadzic, who is conducting his own defence, continued his boycott on Tuesday -- insisting on more time to prepare his case.

O-Gon said that if Karadzic remained absent, he wanted to hear submissions from the prosecution and defence next Tuesday on the different options for continuing with the trial.

They include proceeding in the absence of Karadzic or that of anyone to represent him, imposing a defence lawyer on him, and any - other suggested way of ensuring this trial can proceed should the accused continue to voluntarily absent himself from the courtroom.-

O-Gon said the imposition of a lawyer on Karadzic may lead to an adjournment - to allow adequate time for an assigned counsel to prepare-.