Karadzic's wife, brother and two children are affected

The move is aimed at cutting off financial support to Mr Karadzic and other fugitive war crimes suspects.

Several months ago the top international official in Bosnia, Paddy Ashdown, warned that life was about to get tougher for Mr Karadzic's backers as he announced an operation to destroy his support network.

We are ratcheting up the pressure in a joint manner on those criminal networks Paddy Ashdown

Mr Ashdown ordered the bank accounts and other assets of Mr Karadzic's wife, brother and two children to be frozen.

Ten other Bosnian Serbs were affected, including deputy parliamentary speaker Djojo Arsenovic, who is also to be removed from his post.

But the latest move came as Mr Ashdown himself was under fire from a leading European think-tank which said his rule was frustrating democracy in Bosnia.

The 15-page report by the European Stability Initiative, which was leaked to UK newspaper The Guardian on Saturday, said Mr Ashdown had turned Bosnia into a "European Raj", using methods similar to those of the British in India in the 19th century.

KARADZIC FAMILY AFFECTED Ljiljana, wife Aleksandar, son Sonja, daughter Luka, brother

Mr Karadzic and the former Bosnian Serb military commander, Ratko Mladic, are the international war crimes tribunal's most wanted fugitives.

They are accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for the persecution of non-Serbs in Bosnia.

Mr Ashdown said the actions had been co-ordinated with similar measures taken by Washington and Brussels.

"We are ratcheting up the pressure in a joint manner on those criminal networks," he said.

Blacklists

The campaign began in March with the seizure of assets of two alleged Karadzic associates, Momcilo Mandic and Milovan Bjelica.

It makes things harder for Mr Karadzic to move around when his supporters are financial outlaws Oleg Milisic Spokesman for Paddy Ashdown

Officials are trying to tighten the noose on Mr Karadzic, and hope it may lead directly or indirectly to his capture, said Mr Ashdown's spokesman, Oleg Milisic, said.

"It makes things harder for Mr Karadzic to move around when his supporters are financial outlaws," he told BBC News Online. "It makes it harder for them to support him."

Mr Karadzic's family had been targeted as a result of "specific information", he said, but details were not being made available.

Last week, the EU issued a blacklist of 14 names - some of which are also on the latest list - for whom travel to any EU country is now banned.

And on Monday the US embassy in Sarajevo issued a statement saying it was adding another three names to its own list.