The wartime Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic will not enter a plea before the International criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on the third amended indictment on Thursday afternoon because his health has deteriorated, however a status conference in this case will be held this afternoon as planned, the ICTY said in a statement.
I am not able to be present in court today because of my illness, read a notification which Mladic sent to the trial chamber from his detention unit. Mladic also included a medical opinion according to which he is unfit to attend today's hearing due to an illness, the recovery from which could take a while.
Mladic's lawyer Branko Lukic told the media two days ago that his client would be examined by a team comprising a neuropsychiatrist, a neurologist, a cardiologist and a respiratory physician from Belgrade's military hospital.
Lukic said Mladic's condition was serious, as he was confined to a wheelchair.
Mladic has complained about health problems and asked to be examined by Serbian doctors. Before being extradited to the UN court, he suffered a stroke which affected his health.
He was scheduled to enter a plea today on an additional charge concerning a war crime against Muslims in the Bosnian village of Bistina in 1995.
Mladic is charged with genocide, including the atrocities in Srebrenica and years-long siege of Sarajevo as well as with other war crimes throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, said last month the prosecution could drop some charges in order to expedite the trial against Mladic.
