BELGRADE, Oct 18 (Hina) - Former Yugoslav President Zoran Lilic has refused to testify in the trial of Slobodan Milosevic, because he has been exempt from keeping official, but not state and military secrets.
BELGRADE, Oct 18 (Hina) - Former Yugoslav President Zoran Lilic has
refused to testify in the trial of Slobodan Milosevic, because he
has been exempt from keeping official, but not state and military
secrets. #L#
"I entirely understand the state's decision to exempt me from
keeping an official secret. This fact, however, does not even
partially cover possible testimony before the Hague-based
tribunal. I can speak about things qualifying as official secrets,
but the events are entwined and they took place between 1991 and
2000 and the tribunal is interested in a series of events which I
have participated in and witnessed and they qualify as state and
military secrets. This is why I refused to testify," Lilic, who was
Yugoslavia's president between 1993 and 1997, told today's issue of
a Belgrade-based daily.
After the Federal and Republic governments had exempt him from
keeping official secrets, Lilic travelled to The Hague at the end of
Milosevic's trial for crimes committed in Kosovo, but failed to
testify, and it is uncertain whether the ICTY would subpoena him
again.
(hina) it sb