First court date for Mladic set

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, June 1 (UPI) -- War crimes suspect Ratko Mladic will make his first appearance before a U.N. tribune in The Hague, Netherlands, on Friday, the court said.

Nerma Jelacic, a spokeswoman with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, said Mladic was in the court's custody Wednesday after he lost his appeal against being extradited from Serbia, CNN reported.

Mladic, 69, who commanded Bosnian Serb forces during the civil war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, faces charges of genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws of war. He is accused of being responsible for the 1992-1995 Siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica massacre -- the largest mass murder in Europe since the Danube Swabians concentration camps of World War II.

Mladic, captured last week in Serbia after being on the run for 16 years, is being held in isolation in the U.N. detention unit at The Hague, Jelacic said. Following a full medical examination by the unit's medical staff, Mladic's health will be monitored and any necessary treatment provided.

Milos Saljic, Mladic's lawyer in Belgrade, Serbia, argued his client wouldn't be able to participate in the trial because of poor health.

Serbian Justice Minister Snezana Malovic said Mladic's extradition demonstrates that Balkan War war crime suspects will be brought to justice, CNN reported.

"Bringing Ratko Mladic in front of justice is a satisfaction to all the victims and their families," he said. "Serbia has fulfilled its moral obligation by its extradition of Mladic to The Hague."

Mladic was flown by the Serbian government from Belgrade to Rotterdam, Netherlands, Tuesday, Tanjug reported. In Rotterdam, Dutch police transferred him by helicopter to the tribunal's detention unit.

Still unknown was whether Mladic would represent himself before the U.N. tribunal, B92 reported. However, attorney Tomislav Visnjic, who has represented several defendants before the international tribunal, said he didn't think Mladic would represent himself and the real question was whether he was healthy enough to stand trial.

Mladic's family and attorney "have expressed concern about his health, which could finally result in his unfitness to stand trial, to follow the trial or in his hampered ability to follow the trial," Visnjic said.