UN judges in The Hague, Netherlands, stated on Thursday that an immunity deal Radovan Karadzic claims he made with a US peace envoy would not prevent the former Bosnian Serb leader’s trial on genocide charges. The judges stated that  the deal “would be invalid under international law.”

Karadzic claims he cut a deal with Richard Holbrooke in 1996 to relinquish power in return for immunity from prosecution at the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal.

Holbrooke, however, denies he ever made such a deal with Karadzic. Further, prosecutors say that even if the pact existed, it would have no legal weight at the court.

Karadzic is accused of masterminding Serb atrocities in the 1992-95 Bosnian war including the 1995 Srebrenica massacre of 8,000 Muslim men.

Source: TheAssociated Press