ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, March 17 (Hina) - Preliminary results of blood testsshowed no indication that Slobodan Milosevic's death by heart attackwas caused by poisoning, U.N. war crimes tribunal president FaustoPocar told a news conference
Friday, adding that no traces ofrifampicin - a leprosy and tuberculosis drug that would haveneutralised Milosevic's medicines for his existing health conditions -were found either.
ZAGREB/THE HAGUE, March 17 (Hina) - Preliminary results of blood
tests showed no indication that Slobodan Milosevic's death by heart attack was
caused by poisoning, U.N. war crimes tribunal president Fausto Pocar told a
news conference Friday, adding that no traces of rifampicin - a leprosy and
tuberculosis drug that would have neutralised Milosevic's medicines for his
existing health conditions - were found either. "So far no
indications of poisoning have been found," Judge Pocar said. There was evidence
of his prescribed medication, but not in toxic concentrations, he said.
Pocar said the preliminary autopsy report showed that Milosevic died of
a myocardial infarction, or heart attack, that could be
explained by two heart conditions he suffered from.
According to the pathologists' report, rifampicin resorbs rapidly and
the fact that its traces were not found does not mean that the medicine was not
ingested or administered in the last few days before Milosevic's death, Poncer
said, adding that the inquiry into Milosevic's death would continue.
Milosevic, who died in jail last Saturday, had suffered from high blood
pressure and a heart condition.