THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Jan 9 (Hina) - During his last appearance at the Hague-based war crimes tribunal before the start of his trial on February 12, former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic on Wednesday again showed his contempt
towards the judges and the tribunal itself. Milosevic kept yawning and constantly looking at his watch, trying to maintain an air of calm and nonchalance while court officials were discussing the procedure. However, when the president of the panel of judges, Richard May, allowed Milosevic to speak, the former Yugoslav president again repeated his well-known story - the charges levelled against him are "fabricated justifications" for crimes committed "during the NATO aggression against my country." He then began a bitter tirade against judge May and the chief prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, which lasted several minutes, after which judge May turned off Milosevic's microphone. The former
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Jan 9 (Hina) - During his last appearance at the
Hague-based war crimes tribunal before the start of his trial on
February 12, former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic on
Wednesday again showed his contempt towards the judges and the
tribunal itself.
Milosevic kept yawning and constantly looking at his watch, trying
to maintain an air of calm and nonchalance while court officials
were discussing the procedure.
However, when the president of the panel of judges, Richard May,
allowed Milosevic to speak, the former Yugoslav president again
repeated his well-known story - the charges levelled against him
are "fabricated justifications" for crimes committed "during the
NATO aggression against my country."
He then began a bitter tirade against judge May and the chief
prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, which lasted several minutes, after
which judge May turned off Milosevic's microphone.
The former president also tried to challenge the neutral and
unbiased character of the panel of judges that is to conduct the
trial against him, stressing that judge May was British.
"A court by definition is always neutral and always unbiased. So,
what do we see here? The judge is British, and the indictment
against me is based on information supplied by British intelligence
services," Milosevic said.
Milosevic on Wednesday appeared before the panel of judges for a
hearing whose aim is to prepare the trial to begin February 12.
During the hearing, the judges decided that the prosecution could
call 90 witnesses. The limited number of witnesses guarantees a
quick trial.
The judges also decided that August was the final deadline for the
prosecution to present its case. Although del Ponte requested that
all three indictments - for Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo
- be joined in a single one, the judges decided that two separate
processes should take place - one for Kosovo and the other for
Croatia and Bosnia.
Del Ponte claimed that one trial would be a better proof that
Milosevic had been a part of a criminal network whose wish was to
create a Serb state within the former Yugoslavia. The prosecution
has announced it would appeal the judges' decision.
During his six-month detention, Milosevic has refused to cooperate
with the tribunal and appoint his defence attorneys.
On behalf of Milosevic, who refused to enter his plea, the war
crimes tribunal has treated him as having pleaded guilty to all
counts of the indictment.
(hina) lml sb