THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A United Nations war crimes tribunal is passing judgment on Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, one of the alleged architects of Serb atrocities during Bosnia's 1992-95 war.

Karadzic will hear verdicts Thursday afternoon on 11 charges, including two counts of genocide. He faces a maximum life sentence if convicted.

The trial is hugely significant for the U.N. tribunal as Karadzic is the most senior Bosnian Serb leader to face prosecution. Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic died in his cell in The Hague in 2006 before judges could deliver verdicts in his trial.

Karadzic insists he is innocent and says his wartime actions were intended to protect Serbs.

He is charged with responsibility for atrocities including the siege of Sarajevo and the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslim men in the Srebrenica enclave.