THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Sept 2 (Hina) - Former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic asked the UN war crimes tribunal (ICTY) in The Hague on Tuesday to release him for "a minimum of two years" to prepare his defence.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Sept 2 (Hina) - Former Yugoslav president
Slobodan Milosevic asked the UN war crimes tribunal (ICTY) in The
Hague on Tuesday to release him for "a minimum of two years" to
prepare his defence. #L#
"The most necessary and modest minimum for preparing my defence
would be more in excess of two years, with the right to direct and
unsupervised contact with potential witnesses and access to all
documents," Milosevic told a status conference that discussed
preparations for the presentation of defence evidence.
Presiding Judge Richard May said a break of two years during a trial
was out of the question, adding that the chamber had decided once
before that the defendant could not be provisionally released and
there was no reason to change the decision.
Milosevic has been on trial at The Hague for genocide in Bosnia and
war crimes in Croatia and Kosovo since February 2002.
Milosevic, who is representing himself in the trial, will begin
presenting his defence after the prosecution completes its
presentation of evidence at the end of the year.
The defendant must prepare his defence in custody, and the trial
chamber will adopt an operational plan which will enable Milosevic
to speak with witnesses and prepare documents, Judge May said.
Milosevic said he had more witnesses than the prosecution, to which
May responded that he would be allowed to call approximately the
same number of witnesses as the prosecution, with the same amount of
time for the hearing of each witness.
Amicus curiae Steven Kay supported Milosevic's requests, saying
that the prosecution had had two and a half years to prepare for the
Kosovo part of the trial and a year for Croatia and Bosnia each.
The prosecution objected to the request for a two-year break and
said the accused could only get several months.
The chief prosecutor in the Milosevic trial, Geoffrey Nice, with
the tribunal's Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte sitting at his
side, said a month was sufficient for the defence to start
presenting evidence.
Milosevic said the position of the prosecution was absurd and
reiterated his requests.
"If you will allow only the prosecution and not the defence, then go
ahead, find me guilty," he said, adding he did not recognise the
tribunal anyway.
Judge May concluded the discussion saying the chamber would
consider the arguments and make the necessary decisions at a later
date.
(hina) lml sb