The extradition of Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic to the Hague tribunal started at about 7pm local time. Journalists from B-92 radio managed to film the automobile carrying Mr. Milosevic as he was leaving the Central Prison in Belgrade. This happened all of a sudden. Mira Markovic, Mr. Milosevic’s wife, having arrived at the site, could not believe her eyes. Spontaneous rallies started on the streets of Belgrade in support of Mr. Milosevic. Some of the journalists were attacked. Representatives of the Socialist Party of Serbia called June 28th “most disgraceful day for Serbia.”
Mr. Milosevic was taken to the Batajnica military airdrome, and then to Tuzla (Bosnia). A helicopter, carrying him, landed in the Netherlands, when it was midnight in Moscow. Now, Yugoslav ex-president is placed in the international tribunal’s prison. Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte promised to announce today the date for the start of the hearings.
The decision of Mr. Milosevic’s handover was taken at yesterday’s extraordinary meeting of the Serbian government. Serbian Premier Zoran Djindjic explained it by the intention “to protect the republic’s interest.” In doing so, however, the Serbian authorities ignored the verdict by Yugoslavia’s Constitutional Court which earlier suspended the governmental degree of cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. Also, they interfered in the competence of the federal authorities and disregarded Montenegro. On top of that, it looks like the decision circumvented President Kostunica who was allegedly kept uninformed. Having learned of Mr. Milosevic’s extradition on the radio, he is reported to have called it “anti-constitutional” and “unlawful.”
SERGEI STEPHANOV
PRAVDA.Ru
Miroslav Antic,
http://www.antic.org/
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