THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - Wednesday's hearing in the trial of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic at the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague was postponed due to the defendant's illness, the tribunal
reported.
THE HAGUE/ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - Wednesday's hearing in the trial of
former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic at the U.N. war crimes
tribunal in The Hague was postponed due to the defendant's illness,
the tribunal reported.#L#
Tribunal spokesman Jim Landale said a doctor was expected to examine
Milosevic during the day and inform the trial chamber of his
findings.
The prosecution was to complete the presentation of evidence at
today's and tomorrow's hearing, after which the court would be in
three-month recess so that Milosevic could prepare witnesses and
evidence. The trial is scheduled to resume on May 19.
Today's postponement will probably prolong the completion of the
two-year presentation of prosecution evidence for next week, although
hearings might be held on Thursday and Friday should Milosevic's
health improve.
Over the past two years, the trial was interrupted some 15 times due
to Milosevic's high blood pressure, flue or exhaustion.
The trial, which is considered the most important European war crimes
trial since Nuremberg, started on 12 February 2002. In the past two
calendar years, the trial lasted a total of 295 working days during
which testimonies were given by 298 prosecution witnesses, including
some 70 witnesses to crimes from the indictment on Croatia.
Milosevic, 62, is charged with 66 counts of genocide in
Bosnia-Herzegovina and crimes against humanity and war crimes in
Croatia and Kosovo, committed in the 1990s.
(Hina) rml sb