MILOSEVIC HAS NOT REQUESTED COUNSEL YET

THE HAGUE, July 2 (Hina) - By Monday afternoon former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic did not request counsel to represent him at his first court hearing, a spokesman for the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague said today. Spokesman Jim Landale said Milosevic had been informed about his right to legal representation. If he does not request counsel himself, the court will give him a court-appointed attorney. Belgrade lawyers Dragan Krgovic and Zoran Tomanovic told reporters at the tribunal's headquarters around noon on Monday Milosevic had requested that they represent him and carry out the necessary formalities to take over his representation. The attorneys told reporters they still had not contacted Milosevic and could not do so until they received an official confirmation from the tribunal on representation. Milosevic was handed over and transferred to the Scheveningen detention centre on the night between Thursday and Friday. He is indicted, together with four of his closest associates, for crimes against humanity committed against Albanians in Kosovo in 1998 and 1999 as well as for the violation of the laws or customs of war. Milosevic will make his initial court appearance at 10 am on Tuesday, when he will be read his indictment and asked to enter his plea. The procedure allows Milosevic not to enter any plea for a period of 30 days after which judges record his non-entering of the plea as a plea of not guilty. Landale says this would not be the first time an indictee has not requested counsel until his initial court appearance. (hina) sb rml