The ICTY takes care of all the accused, and it took particular care of Milosevic. We cannot be reproached for negligence, the spokesman for the ICTY Registry, Christian Chartier, told reporters.
Milosevic had been on trial for the fifth year for genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina and crimes against humanity in Croatia and Kosovo. Chartier described his death as tragic.
It is a tragic event for Milosevic, his family, the victims whose wish for justice will not be fulfilled, and for justice, the spokesman said.
ICTY spokeswoman Alexandra Milenov told Hina by telephone that Milosevic had been founded dead in his cell at 0900 hours on Saturday.
Milosevic's body was found at 0900 hours when his cell was opened. Death was confirmed by the prison doctor. The Dutch police have started an investigation, and an autopsy will also be carried out. ICTY President Fausto Pocar has ordered an internal inquiry, Milenov said.
Asked if the tribunal could blame itself for Milosevic's death, because two weeks ago it rejected his request for provisional release to undergo medical treatment in Moscow and he continually complained of deteriorating health in recent time, Milenov avoided an answer.
At this moment I have no other details. It should be seen what exactly happened before considering if something else should have been done, the spokeswoman said.
Asked how this most complex trial at the ICTY would be formally completed, Milenov recalled the case of Slavko Dokmanovic, who served as mayor of Vukovar during the Serb-occupation of the town in the first half of the 1990s.
After his trial at the ICTY, Dokmanovic committed suicide on 29 June 1999 before a sentencing hearing. Two weeks later the trial chamber in his case ordered termination of the trial due to the death of the accused.
The Milosevic trial began on 12 February 2002. The presentation of defence evidence was to be completed by the end of April, closing arguments were expected in July and a sentence was due by the end of this year.
Commenting on Milosevic's death, several EU foreign ministers said on Saturday that it was a pity that justice would not be served.