Radovan Karadžić is to appear before the United Nations war crimes tribunal in The Hague for the first time on July 31 2008, world news agencies reported.

The one-time Bosnian Serb leader will face judge Alphons Orie at 4pm CEST/2pm GMT. After hearing the 11 charges brought against him, he will have the opportunity to enter a plea. He may choose to plead at a later point in time, but no longer than 30 days starting July 31.

This will be Karadžić 's first public appearance since his arrest on July 21 that put an end to 12 years on the run.

Charges against him include genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during the 1992/95 war in Bosnia.

Karadžić was extradited to The Hague in the early morning of July 30.

"The arrest of Radovan Karadžić is immensely important for the victims who had to wait far too long for this day. It is also important for international justice because it clearly demonstrates that there is no alternative to the arrest of war criminals and that there can be no safe haven for fugitives," prosecutor Serge Brammertz said in a statement on Karadžić 's transfer to the UN tribunal.

Karadžić, now 63, was last seen in public in 1996. His arrest, along with that of other top figures allegedly involved in war crimes during the war in Bosnia, including the army chief of staff Ratko Mladić, has been a key condition for Belgrade to meet before its European integration hopes can go ahead.

The war in Bosnia cost an estimated 250 000 to 300 000 lives, with 1.8 million people displaced. Among the crimes for which Karadžić has been indicted by the UN war crimes tribunal is the 1995 massacre at Srebrenica and the 44-month siege of Sarajevo.