Liu Daqun, judge in the Tribunal

The acting president of the Tribunal, Judge Liu Daqun, has ruled that Ratko Mladic's defense has failed to prove there is 'a reasonable concern' about the partiality of judges Theodor Meron, Carmel Agius and Fausto Pocar, and thus there is no reason to appoint a panel of three judges to consider whether there are any grounds for their disqualification.

The defense's motion was based on the allegation that the three judges have prejudged the accused to a considerable extent with the various statements they made either in their capacity as the presidents of the Tribunal or as judges in the trial or appeals chamber. The defense demanded that they be disqualified from the five-judge Appeals Chamber which will consider the defense's appeal against the Trial Chamber's decision to reject the defense's motion in which they sought 'guarantees for a fair trial and the presumption of innocence' of the former VRS Main Commander.

The closing arguments in the case against Ratko Mladic, who is on trial for double genocide and other crimes committed in the war in BH, have been scheduled for the first half of December.

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