The chief prosecutor of the United Nations war crimes tribunal said the court in The Hague will need at least two extra years to complete its work.
Serge Brammertz told reporters it will be impossible to complete tribunal operations by 2010 as currently scheduled, following the arrest of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and other suspects.
The prosecutor said he has asked the U.N. Security Council for an additional $15 million to pay the staff needed for conducting the Karadzic trial. He said he also expects the council to approve a new tribunal closing date of 2012.
The council had originally expected the court to complete all its trials by the end of this year and authorized an additional two years for handling appeals.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.