War crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic will appear before the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague for the first time tomorrow, the court said, and will be asked to enter a plea to the charges against him.
Karadzic, arrested near Belgrade last week, was flown out of Serbia by plane last night under tight security. Shortly after dawn, he was taken from Rotterdam airport to the Scheveningen detention centre near The Hague.
The former Bosnian Serb leader, who faces charges of genocide for his actions in the 1992-95 Bosnia war, is due in court tomorrow afternoon before judge Alphons Orie.
Usually the indictment is read at a suspect's initial court appearance, but Karadzic can ask that only the charges, effectively a shorter summary of the indictment, are read, or that the indictment is not read at all.
He will be asked to enter a plea. If he refuses, proceedings will be adjourned and he will have 30 days to consider before he is again asked to enter a plea. If he still refuses, a plea of "not guilty" will be entered for him.
In Belgrade, Karadzic's lawyer Sveta Vujacic said his client will postpone entering a formal plea for 30 days, the maximum allowed under court rules.
Mr Vujacic also admitted he never filed an appeal against Karadzic's extradition from Serbia, contributing to the delay in his being handed over.
Since his capture, Karadzic has had a shave and a haircut. His lawyer said he looks like an older version of the Bosnian Serb leader who regularly met with top Western officials, diplomats and military commanders during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.
Karadzic was arrested in Serbia last week and was transferred to the Netherlands and placed in the custody of the tribunal today.
His arrival in a white Serbian government business jet from Belgrade marked the end of a 13-year effort by the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal to take custody of its most wanted war criminal, accused of responsibility for the deaths of tens of thousands of people and the sufferings of hundreds of thousands of Bosnian Muslims and Croats.
Tribunal spokeswoman Nerma Jelacic, confirming his arrival at the UN detention centre outside The Hague, said the tribunal will “ensure his well being and right to a fair trial as much as possible and in accordance with the highest international standards”.
The tribunal declined to give details of the transfer, citing security in future cases. But the confirmation came shortly after a helicopter landed behind the high wall of the prison while another helicopter hovered overhead. Two black vans drove through the prison gates moments earlier.
It is likely to be several months before his trial begins, and could take several years before it concludes.
Arrested last week after 11 years on the run, Karadzic was most recently living under an assumed name as a bearded, long-haired alternative healer.
Earlier in Belgrade, he was escorted to the airport by masked officials from the Serbian secret service. A convoy of black jeeps took him from prison to the capital's airport.
Yesterday, some 10,000 hardline nationalists, many brought by bus from rural nationalist strongholds, showed their support for him in downtown Belgrade, chanting his name and holding up giant banners with his picture.
Clashes broke out when several dozen youths threw flares, stones and garbage cans at riot police. Some 45 people, most of them policemen, were wounded.
Karadzic's delivery to The Hague is key to Serbia securing closer ties with the European Union and his arrest was seen as a clear pro-Western signal by the new government, sworn in earlier this month.
Sending him to The Hague is expected by the government to defuse tension and stop further protests, but also to unlock EU trade benefits.
Karadzic's legal team had tried to delay his extradition by launching a cumbersome appeal procedure that threatened to drag on for several more days. But even they admitted they could only postpone, not stop his transfer.
Relatives have said Karadzic is in good spirits and preparing for his defence. He has had two suits delivered for his court appearance, one light, one dark.
Agencies