World media prepare for Mladic's trial

Everything is ready in The Hague for the arrival of Ratko Mladic, who, it is assumed, will be extradited to the Netherlands this week.

World media have already descended on the Dutch coastal town at the Scheveningen detention unit of the international war crimes tribunal.

Technicians were yesterday preparing satellite dishes on vans belonging to media outlets.

They are parked across the street from the high wall and iron gates that will close behind the former Bosnian Serb general when he arrives.

"We're only waiting for the decision of Serbian authorities," said Nerma Jelacic, a spokesperson for the war crimes tribunal.

Once the gates close, Mladic will have the usual medical check-up, which is particularly important in his case since his lawyer and family claim the man alleged to have ordered the slaughter of more than 7500 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in 1995 is unfit to stand trial.

Within 48 hours of arrival, Mladic will appear in court to enter his plea before the three-member panel of judges assigned by the president of the tribunal, Mehmet Guney.

The indictment against Mladic names genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. It is expected he will deny any wrongdoing.

According to Judge Guney, "the trial could last between a year-and-a-half and two years". That appears to be a hopeful estimate, as the cases against the most high-profile suspects so far have lasted for several years.

The panel of judges comprises the German Christoph Fluegge, the South African Bakone Moloto, and the Dutchman Alphons Orie. The appointment of a Dutch judge to the case is regarded by some as sensitive, due to the Srebrenica massacre where Dutch peacekeepers failed in their protective mission.

- INDEPENDENT