THE HAGUE, Sept 27 (Hina) - The first witness in the Croatian and Bosnian section of the trial of a former Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic, before the UN war crimes tribunal, on Friday began his testimony with full measures
taken to protect his identity, such as the protection of his figure by a screen between the stand and the court gallery and the changed voice.
THE HAGUE, Sept 27 (Hina) - The first witness in the Croatian and
Bosnian section of the trial of a former Yugoslav president,
Slobodan Milosevic, before the UN war crimes tribunal, on Friday
began his testimony with full measures taken to protect his
identity, such as the protection of his figure by a screen between
the stand and the court gallery and the changed voice. #L#
After the witness took oath, the hearing continued behind the
closed doors at the request of Hildergard Uertz-Retzlaff, the
prosecutor in charge of the Croatian section of the indictment, so
that the judges could be notified of the personal data and political
development of the witness.
Prior to this, the chief prosecutor in the Milosevic case, Geoffrey
Nice, announced that the incumbent Croatian President, Stjepan
Mesic, would arrive at The Hague on Monday, and testify on Tuesday
and Wednesday, and perhaps on Thursday.
Before the first witness, Milosevic wrapped up his introductory
speech for this part of his trial when he told the prosecutors and
the tribunal, which he labelled "as Orwell's new ministry of the
truth", that Serbia and he personally deserved the highest credit
for the establishment of the peace in the area of Yugoslavia.
At the time of the war in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Milosevic
was Serbia's President.
He told the prosecutors who should prove his responsibility for
crimes that their task "is impossible, if you do not falsify the
history."
During 45 minutes he was given on Friday morning to conclude his
introductory speech, Milosevic tried to show that the then Croatian
authorities were liable for the persecution of the Serb population
in early 1990s.
"Serbs were those who were persecuted, jeopardised and killed...
They had no prospects since the establishment of that regime with
Ustasha-leaning, led by Franjo Tudjman and Stjepan Mesic,"
Milosevic said and cited a series of statements of some politicians
from that time to corroborate his claim.
Milosevic posed a question "Is it Belgrade that upset Serbs? Who can
claim this without choking?"
"A nationalist hysteria is beginning. This is an atmosphere,"
Milosevic said asserting that Croats had two days off for
Christmas, while Serbs (mostly Orthodox believers) had only one day
off (at Christmas according to the Julian calendar).
The tribunal's prosecutors charge Milosevic with crimes committed
in Croatia within a grand plan of ethnic cleansing in some Croatian
areas which should have been added to a Serb-dominated state.
On Friday, the prosecution team, led by the ICTY chief prosecutor,
Carla del Ponte, listened to Milosevic without showing many
reactions.
As regards Bosnia, Milosevic focused his speech to the claim that
crimes were committed either by the Mujahedeen or by the Bosniak
(Muslim) side against its own people in order to subsequently
accuse Serbs of that.
Milosevic claimed that in Croatia and Bosnia there had been 778
camps for Serbs, waving a paper with the alleged list of those
sites.
On Thursday, Milosevic claimed that key roles in the world plot
against Serbs had been played by former US President Bill Clinton
and his close associate Richard Holbrooke, and on Friday he
invested his efforts to prove the French role in the Srebrenica
massacre.
French intelligence used a Bosnian Serb military unit to commit
that mass crime and then accuse Serbs of it, Milosevic said.
He reiterated his accusations of the Clinton administration,
claiming that Clinton's policy brought Islamic fundamentalists in
Bosnia, showing pictures of cut heads.
"When (they) begin to cut your throats, you will know what it is
about," Milosevic told the ICTY.
(hina) ms