Story highlights
- Karadzic is indicted with multiple counts of genocide and crimes against humanity
- An estimated 100,000 people died during the three-year Bosnian War
- Former leader of the breakaway Serb Republic in Bosnia faces life in prison if convicted
On Thursday, the former leader of the breakaway Serb Republic in Bosnia, will be handed down a verdict from the International Criminal Tribunal for his role in the three-year conflict that's estimated to have taken over 100,000 lives.
The so-called "Butcher of Bosnia" faces 11 counts of war crimes including genocide and crimes against humanity.
Between 1992 and 1995, while president of the so-called Serbian Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Karadzic's troops were reported to have massacred over hundreds of thousands of Muslims and Croats during a campaign of "ethnic cleansing."
It's alleged he masterminded the notorious siege of Sarajevo in which more than 11,000 people died, and the Srebrenica massacre of nearly 8,000 Muslim men and boys, the worst mass killing seen in Europe since World War II.
The 70-year-old faces a life sentence if convicted.
Karadzic's road to the Hague has been a long one, marked by bizarre twists. He went into hiding in 1996 and was not arrested until 12 years later. When he emerged, he was heavily disguised by a white beard, long hair and spectacles.
When Karadzic was found, he had grown a long beard and wore spectacles to diguise himself
Serb officials revealed that Karadzic had been hiding in plain sight -- working in a clinic in Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, under a false identity as a "healer."
He was extradited to the Hague to face charges where he entered a not guilty plea. He initially tried to represent himself which led to delays in his trial but eventually had a lawyer imposed on him.
Thursday's verdict comes more than a year after the end of his trial in 2014. The 500-day trial included evidence from 586 witnesses and more than 11,000 exhibits.
