ICTY: DEPUTY PROSECUTOR TESTIFIES AGAINST MILOSEVIC

THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Oct 30 (Hina) - Graham Blewitt, deputy chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), testified on Thursday at the trial of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic about the prosecution's correspondence with the accused during the 1998/1999 conflict in Kosovo. #L# Australian Blewitt, deputy prosecutor of the Hague-based tribunal since 15 February 1994, was called to confirm the authenticity of the letters which the then chief prosecutor Louise Arbour in 1998 and 1999 sent to Milosevic, urging him to cooperate in the investigation of crimes in Kosovo. In February 1999 the prosecution sent the authorities in Belgrade a detailed report about war crimes in Kosovo and initiated investigations. In the letter of March 26, Arbour expressed concern about repeated crimes against civilians, urging Milosevic in vain to stop and punish the perpetrators, Blewitt said. He also confirmed the authenticity of other letters exchanged between the prosecution and the Yugoslav authorities, which the prosecution introduced in the evidence file. Cross-examining Blewitt, Milosevic challenged his being called to the witness-stand, stating that "Blewitt and prosecutor Geoffrey Nice testifying about themselves is an absurd farce". He described claims from Arbour's letters as "false and tendentious" and accused the prosecution of protecting Albanian terrorists in Kosovo who he said were also linked to Osama bin Laden. Richard May, the judge presiding the trial chamber, forbid Milosevic to ask a number of questions about crimes committed during NATO attacks on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as well as those challenging the legality of the ICTY and its prosecution. Next week, the Milosevic trial will be held on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. A former peace envoy for the former Yugoslavia, Lord David Owen, will testify on Monday and Tuesday. (hina) rml sb