UN Says Mladic Trial Should Start In Weeks

Former Bosnian Serb Army chief Ratko Mladic sits in the courtroom in The Hague on May 16.

The chief UN prosecutor for the former Yugoslavia has said the evidence errors that prompted a postponement of the trial of war crimes suspect Ratko Mladic do not warrant a delay of six months, as sought by the defense.

Serge Brammertz said during a visit to Serbia that the prosecution believed the long-awaited proceedings could start within weeks.

A judge earlier this month delayed the genocide trial of the wartime Bosnian Serb Army commander, because of "significant disclosure errors."

Prosecutors are obliged to share all evidence with the defense.

Mladic is accused of waging a campaign of killings during Bosnia's 1992-95 war, including the siege of the capital, Sarajevo, and the execution of thousands of Muslim boys and men in Srebrenica -- Europe's worst crime since World War II.

Based on reporting by AP, Reuters, and AFP