As a defiant Ratko Mladic appeared in court today charged with genocide, murder, acts of terror, crimes of sexual violence and other crimes against humanity.

Off-camera, the former Bosnian Serb general Mladic ran his hand across his throat in a gesture of defiance to relatives of those who died in Srebrenica -- the worst massacre in Europe since World War Two.

The court heard harrowing testimonies read out by Prosecution lawyer Dermot Groome, of the Srebrenica massacre.

"They were loaded in groups of five, into a bus. The bus was driven to the field and as the men were forced off the bus, they could see the bodies of those killed before them. They were murdered, as they left the bus."

He also added what another survivor heard.

"Another survivor of this massacre will describe during the trial hearing one of the soldiers comment to another: It's all going according to plan."

Mr Groom highlighted the crimes of sexual violence.

"Crimes of sexual violence were an integral part of the process of taking over and ethnically cleansing Bosnia. While women were most often targeted for such crimes of terrible violation, men were also victimised."

And finally the prosecution explained the Bosnian Serb goals of terror.

"The mechanisms of terror were simple: indiscriminate shelling, sniping of civilians, deprivation of the essentials of daily life, food, water and humanitarian aid."