By Pearl Rimon
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – The U.N. war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic had its first witness take the stand this week. Mladic, 70, the former Bosnian Serb army chief is charged with 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, if convicted he could face the maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Mladic is alleged to be the mastermind behind the Serb atrocities in the Bosnian war that took place between 1992-1995, that left 100,000 people dead. Mladic faces charges relating to the 1995 Srebrenicia massacre, where nearly 8,000 Muslim men and boys were killed. This is worst single atrocity committed in Europe since World War II.

Elvedin Pasic took the stand and broke into tears as he described fleeing his village in 1992 as it was under fire by Mladic’s troops. Pasic and his father were captured and put in a makeshift prison in a school with the other villagers, The women and children were separated and taken away.

“Your honors, after being there that night, there is no doubt in my mind they were all killed,” Pasic told the three-judge panel.

Mladic is believed to be the mastermind behind the plan to rid Bosnia of Croats and Muslims. He allegedly ordered troops to drive  them and other non-Serb residents from Bosnian towns. He is also alleged to have used 200 U.N. peacekeepers as human shields.

Mladic’s lawyers filed a motion on Monday to adjourn the war crimes case for six months. The motion demanded for more time due to the trial judges changing the rules governing documentary evidence that prosecutors can file. The trial was already halted in May due to irregularities by the prosecution in the transfer of documents to the defense.

The defense motion said the change “is unprecedented in the history of the tribunal and threatens to be a significant blight to the integrity of these proceedings. Urgent action by the Chamber is required to avoid a very (great) potential miscarriage of justice.”

The U.N. indicted 161 people for their involvement in the Bosnian war. The Bosnian war led to the deaths of 100,000 people and left another 2.2 homeless.

Mladic spent 16 years on the run before being found and indicted in May 2011. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

For further information, please see:

BBC News — Ratko Mladic Trial: Witness Recalls Bosnia Killings – 09 July 2012

Huffington Post– Ratko Mladic Trial: Elvedin Pasic, First Witness, To Testify At War Criminal’s Trial – 09 July 2012

Washington Post — First Witness Weeps As He Testifies in Mladic Trial About Being Separated From Father – 09 July 2012