Karadžić wrote to judges: I have been ill since last month, I fear cancer

Former President of Republika Srpska Radovan Karadžić has asked his Hague judges to schedule a status conference on the state of proceedings - at the end of this month (28th or 29th September), in order to inform them about his deteriorating health condition in the detention unit of the Hague Tribunal, reports the news agency Patria.

"Dr. Karadžić has been ill since 18 August 2015, suffering from pain, loss of balance and exhaustion from a still undetermined cause," it is stated in the request for a status conference, which informs that the accused has also ordered a full set of health tests for organ function, "tests that have not been performed since his arrival at the detention unit seven years ago."

Karadžić has informed that he is still waiting for findings of blood sugar levels "which are higher than normal," and that he wishes to inform the judges of the results.

The accused reminded the judges that they stated his health is of great importance to them, and therefore asks them to spare a few minutes from the "difficult task of preparing the verdict."

Karadžić's first-instance verdict is expected at the end of this year, regarding the indictment on 11 counts charging him with genocide in several municipalities in 1992, persecution across Bosnia and Herzegovina, terror against Sarajevans (1992-1995), genocide in Srebrenica, and taking international observers hostage (1995).

In his request, Karadžić also expressed his fears regarding the "abnormally high percentage of illness among fellow detainees," reminding them of the deceased General Mile Mrkšić, who recently died of lung cancer in a Portuguese prison (where he had been since 2012).

Although he himself reminded that the Trial Chamber had already rejected his previous request to address this at a status conference, he expressed confidence "that only public awareness of this serious problem can result in the will of the United Nations (UN) to investigate – whether environmental conditions or something else in the UN Detention Unit are responsible for this high rate of illness."

Karadžić has already reported this year that he developed diabetes, but also claimed that the detention where he is held – causes cancer, referring to the leader of the Serbian Radicals Vojislav Šešelj and one of the leaders of the Serbian rebellion in Croatia Goran Hadžić – who contracted it, writes Slobodna Evropa.