The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) Trial Chamber presided by judge Alphons Orie denied the request by Ratko Mladic's defence team for a 90-day adjournment of the start of the trial, it was stated in the ICTY on Friday.

As released earlier by the ICTY, Mladic's trial should start on May 16 with the prosecutor's opening statement.
Mladic's counsels submitted requests for the adjournment of trial on a number of occasions, and the request was once again presented at Thursday's pre-trial conference.

Mladic's counsel Branko Lukic said that the prosecution released certain documents late in April leaving insufficient time for the defence team to prepare for cross examination. The prosecution will hear the statements of a total of 413 witnesses during the trial, including two expert witnesses.

The first hearings and presentation of evidence are scheduled for May 29. Mladic is accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and violation of laws and customs of war during the 1992-1995 war conflict in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He was arrested in Serbia on May 26, 2011, and extradited to the ICTY on May 31.