Radovan Karadzic former Bosnian Serb leader’s trial has been adjourned in Hague due to refusal of him being present in the court. Karadzic boycotted and protested against the proceedings on Monday and said that they were in a “rush to justice”. The UN International Criminal Tribunal for the Yugoslavia is handling Karadzic’s case.

Judge O-Gon Kwon said in the beginning first fifteen minutes “In light of the absence of the accused and of counsel to represent him, the chamber will adjourn these proceedings today”. He added “We request Mr Karadzic to attend so that his trial is not further obstructed” and the hearing was to reassemble at 14:15pm.

Radovan Karadzic is guilty of crimes such as mass Genocide against Muslim men and boys at the UN-protected enclave of Srebrenica in July 1995, the worst atrocity in Europe since the second world war in which about 8,000 people were mass murdered. He is also charged of crimes against humanity and violations of customs of wars.

He masterminded atrocities against Muslims and in the Bosnian war during 1992-1995. Between April 1992 and November 1995, Karadzic, with other members of a JCE, implemented a military strategy that used sniping and shelling to kill, maim, wound and terrorize the residents of Sarajevo.

Although he has no legal background he has opted to defend himself in the trial saying that he needs more time to prepare his defenses.

Al Jazeera’s correspondent Barnaby Phillips reported from the Bosnian capital that “People here are a little bit disappointed. Sarajevo had a terrible time during the war, it was actually under siege for 44 months.

From early 1992 to towards the end of 1995 more than 10,000 people were killed here and yet this trial has got off to a very messy, a very inconclusive start”.

Another correspondent said that “We’re seeing a hint of how he is going to play this.

When you represent yourself, you have more chance of delaying a trial than when you have a lawyer appointed – the latter conform to the strictures of the court and progress is made.

I think he probably learned something from his previous trial. If he continues not to appear, it is my understanding he will have a lawyer imposed upon him”.

A lawyer for the mothers of Srebrenica, Axel Hagedorn said “If a new lawyer comes in he will have to prepare himself, I would say for at lest one year … and if they don’t do it Karadzic might get three more months, and in the long term he might do it again. In both cases it will delay the case”.

Chief prosecutor in the case Serge Brammertz said “We hope to be able to prove the criminal intent and to show that it was a planned operation – ethnic cleansing, genocide – planned in advance, implemented by Karadzic, Mladic and a number of other persons, this trial is important for the victims who will finally see justice being done”.

The charge sheet says that he stands guilty for “participated in an overarching joint criminal enterprise to permanently remove Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Croat inhabitants from the territories of Bosnia Hercegovina claimed as Bosnian Serb territory”.

After 13 years on run he was finally caught in Belgrade last July. He had disguised himself as Dr Dragan Dabic, a New Age healer wore thick glasses and grown bushy beard and straggly gray hair.

Prosecutors wanted to try Karadzic alongside General Ratko Mladic, his wartime military chief, but Mladic has yet to be apprehended. The other is Goran Hadzic, a former leader of rebel Serbs in Croatia.