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Karadzic Asks Genocide Trial For More Time
The man accused by the prosecution of "ethnic cleansing" in one of "humanity's darkest chapters" said he has been "snowed under" by 1.3 million pages of documents.
Karadzic stopped short of pledging to "boycott" the proceedings, but told the presiding judge: "I cannot take part in something that has been bad from the start."
Appearing for the first time since the start of his trial, the 64-year-old - who is representing himself in court - said: "I don't need a new lawyer. I just need time."
The three-judge panel adjourned and said it would decide later this week on how to proceed.
Prosecutor Hildegard Uertz-Retzlaff said their options included appointing a standby counsel if the defendant refused to participate, or stripping him of his right to represent himself.
He added any extra delays accrued would be a "reasonable price" to pay to end Karadzic's obstruction of the trial.
Karadzic had refused to attend last week's opening of the proceedings before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
He faces 11 war crime charges in total, including two of genocide during the 1992-95 Bosnian war.
Karadzic was the leader of the Serb Republic that sought to carve its own state from Bosnia during the break up of Yugoslavia in Europe's worst conflict since World War Two.
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