The court due to try Radovan Karadzic on genocide charges rejected on Wednesday the former Bosnian Serb leader’s claims that a purported deal struck with Richard Holbrooke, the former US peace envoy, granted him immunity from prosecution.

Mr Karadzic, who was extradited to The Hague a year ago, had sought to argue that Mr Holbrooke acted with the “apparent authority” of the United Nations Security Council when he allegedly offered Mr Karadzic immunity from prosecution in 1996 in return for the latter’s disappearance from public life.