THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic wants UN war crimes prosecutors to turn over any evidence they have about an alleged deal he cut to avoid prosecution.

Karadzic says he wants to use the material in a motion to have his indictment on genocide charges dismissed.

In the motion filed with the Yugoslav war crimes tribunal on Monday, Karadzic says the material involves a deal he claims he made with U.S. envoy Richard Holbrooke in July 1996.

Karadzic says he was promised he would not face prosecution if he "agreed to withdraw completely from public life."

Holbrooke has repeatedly denied making such a deal.

Prosecutors did not immediately file a response to the motion.

Karadzic contends the deal is relevant to his case because Holbrooke made it on behalf of the UN Security Council - the body that established the tribunal.

The charges Karadzic faces include two counts of genocide for allegedly masterminding atrocities by Bosnian Serb forces during the 1992-95 Bosnian war including the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica and the deadly siege of Sarajevo.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Karadzic was arrested in Belgrade in July after 13 years on the run. His former military chief, Gen. Ratko Mladic, is still at large.