THE HAGUE/BELGRADE, July 3 (Hina) - Belgrade attorney Zdenko Tomanovic on Tuesday afternoon visited Scheveningen prison in The Hague to meet a former Yugoslav President and one of current ICTY indictees, Slobodan Milosevic. Later in
the day after he paid a three-hour-long visit to Milosevic, attorney Tomanovic said Milosevic would not have any defence lawyer during the entire process before the ICTY. Asked by reporters whether Milosevic would defend himself actively or follow the trial passively, Tomanovic responded that he did not know how Milosevic was going to behave but it was certain that he would not defend himself but "attack institutions that have established the Tribunal, like he did today." He reiterated that he did not meet Milosevic, as his lawyer. Asked who paid his trip to The Hague, Tomanovic declined to answer but added that he "will visit nobody free of charge". The Belgrade attorney said t
THE HAGUE/BELGRADE, July 3 (Hina) - Belgrade attorney Zdenko
Tomanovic on Tuesday afternoon visited Scheveningen prison in The
Hague to meet a former Yugoslav President and one of current ICTY
indictees, Slobodan Milosevic.
Later in the day after he paid a three-hour-long visit to Milosevic,
attorney Tomanovic said Milosevic would not have any defence lawyer
during the entire process before the ICTY.
Asked by reporters whether Milosevic would defend himself actively
or follow the trial passively, Tomanovic responded that he did not
know how Milosevic was going to behave but it was certain that he
would not defend himself but "attack institutions that have
established the Tribunal, like he did today."
He reiterated that he did not meet Milosevic, as his lawyer. Asked
who paid his trip to The Hague, Tomanovic declined to answer but
added that he "will visit nobody free of charge".
The Belgrade attorney said that after his initial appearance
Milosevic was taken to a room where Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte
was. The meeting passed with no conversation as Milosevic refused
to talk with her, he said.
Tomanovic will visit Milosevic in the Scheveningen prison in coming
days until Saturday when he leaves The Hague.
ICTY (International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia)
spokesman Chris Chartier has confirmed Milosevic is not going to
call any lawyers to appear before the tribunal due to the fact that
he did not recognise the tribunal.
In the ICTY headquarters, deputy chief prosecutor Graham Blewitt
said should Milosevic persist in his decision to give up a right to
counsel, the prosecutors' job would be a lot simpler. He said the
prosecution would call several important persons to take the stand
of their own accord. He declined to specify whether the witnesses
were from the region of the former Yugoslavia or the international
community.
In Belgrade, another lawyer of Slobodan Milosevic said on Tuesday
evening "his client until recently" had now "slim chances of
defence" if he decided to defend himself on his own.
Commenting on Milosevic's statement that he did not recognise the
Tribunal, Fila said he could not agree with such statement, as he
had been defending indictees before the Tribunal for six years.
(hina) ms