War criminal Karadžić: I regret hindering the Army of Republika Srpska from achieving more on the battlefield

The Hague convict Radovan Karadžić gave his first interview after being sentenced to 40 years in prison by the Hague Tribunal in March, reports the Patria News Agency.

In an interview with Zeit, Karadžić stated that for him and other prisoners, humor is "the best way to express concern and aggression, but also to get rid of it," reports Bild.

"That's why we laugh all the time," said Karadžić.

In addition, in his free time, he often prays, plays the flute, and plays tennis and football.

"I know that the Serbian people remember me as a dedicated and responsible public official. The only mistake I made concerned our army. I constantly held them back because I believed foreigners and other propaganda. Thus, I prevented them from achieving even more on the battlefield," Karadžić told reporters.

Radovan Karadžić was sentenced to 40 years in prison in The Hague in March 2016. The time he spent in custody, i.e., since 2008, will be included in the sentence he is serving.

The Hague Tribunal found him guilty of genocide against Bosniaks in Srebrenica, crimes in Sarajevo, and taking UN and other organization personnel hostage, while he was acquitted of genocide in the municipalities of Bratunac, Foča, Ključ, Prijedor, Sanski Most, Vlasenica, and Zvornik.