Following initial reports from ICTY sources that former Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic was cooperating well with the court’s procedures, observers worry that the defendant could soon start to employ delaying tactics.

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By Richard Walker

After describing the charges levelled against him as “obnoxious” there is good reason to expect the former general to be less than fully cooperative when his next hearing takes place on July 4th 2011. The following is an inexhaustive list of Hague tribunal indictees and their favourite methods of playing for time:

The former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadizc requested several extra months to read through the evidence against him (more than 1 million pages); He continues to insist on conducting his own defence despite the fact judges at the ICTY have repeatedly urged him to accept the lawyers appointed to represent him. Karadzic has taken multiple opportunities since his trial began in 2008 to mock the court with facetious questions, as well as make challenges to the court’s jurisdiction and legitimacy.

Vojislav Seselj (Serb ultra-nationalist) on trial for conspiracy to murder during the Balkan wars of the 1990s is now on trial separately for contempt of court. Judges repeatedly instructed Seselj to remove the details of protected witnesses from his online publications. He failed to do so and now faces lengthy delays to his more serious war crimes trial.

Charles Taylor (former President of Liberia) has fired his lawyers, turned up to court late, and sometimes even not turned up at all. All of which has helped delay proceedings in the 3 year trial.

Slobodan Milosevic (former President of Serbia). Many doubted the veracity of Milosevic’s repeated claims of sickness. He conducted his own defence and used up court time with political grandstanding, although his microphone was often switched off. Few credible voices doubt the veracity of his death.