Milosevic to face U.N. court alone
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (CNN) -- Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic
will represent himself during his initial appearance before the U.N. War
Crimes Tribunal.
Milosevic will become the first head of state to appear before the United
Nations court on Tuesday, when he will be charged with crimes against
humanity relating to ethnic cleansing in Kosovo.
"As long as the tribunal lasts, he will not have legal counsel. He will
answer for himself," said Zdenko Tomanovic, one of two Belgrade lawyers who
met Milosevic on Monday afternoon.
"It is out of our meeting comes the following: Mr. Milosevic does not
recognise The Hague Tribunal," he continued. "Since Mr. Milosevic does not
recognise The Hague Tribunal, he is not going to appoint any lawyers."
He added that Milosevic, who ruled Yugoslavia for 13 years until his
downfall in October 2000, believes the tribunal is a "mechanism to conduct
genocide on the Serb people."
Tribunal officials said they too were advised that Milosevic rejected legal
counsel. Calling it unprecedented, they said they have recommended the
defendant come with lawyers for the session, scheduled for 10 a.m. (0800
GMT).
Tomanovic said Milosevic believes he was transferred illegally to The Hague
and that he was essentially kidnapped from his homeland.
The lawyer said Milosevic appeared in good health, was dressed sharply and
felt proud: "He looks and feels great."
Tomanovic said it is his understanding Milosevic has not read the indictment
against him because he "does not agree and does not accept it."
Milosevic, 59, is to appear before the tribunal Tuesday at a hearing during
which the charges against him will be read.
He is accused of crimes against humanity for actions carried out by the
Yugoslav Army in Kosovo in 1999, including murder, deportation and
prosecution of people on political, racial and ethnic grounds. He faces life
in prison if convicted of any of the four charges.
Milosevic's lawyers have said he feels he is not guilty and was acting in
the best interests of his country.
Milosevic could enter pleas during the Tuesday hearing, although war crimes
suspects have 30 days to enter a plea. Tribunal officials said previous
suspects entered pleas during their initial hearings.
Since his extradition last Thursday, Milosevic has spoken to his wife three
times during what were described as seven-minute conversations. He had no
visitors until the meeting with his lawyer.
Milosevic will be the first head of state tried for crimes committed in
office and the trial will be a test for new ideas on international justice.
In the Yugoslav capital Belgrade, about 15,000 flag-waving Milosevic
supporters gathered in front of the federal parliament on Monday in the
biggest protest since the former ruler was extradited, the Associated Press
reported.
Protesters demanded new elections, hoping they would unseat the
pro-democracy government of Serbia, the main Yugoslav republic, whose
leaders handed Milosevic to the tribunal.
Milosevic's allies in Belgrade say that the former president, who was forced
from power in October, believes he is being persecuted because he stood up
to NATO, refusing to sign a power-sharing deal with Kosovo Albanians in
1999.
Milosevic's crackdown on ethnic Albanians triggered a 78-day NATO bombing
campaign against Yugoslavia, which ended with the withdrawal of Yugoslav
forces from Kosovo and the handing over of the Serbian province to the
United Nations and NATO.
Ramsey Clark, who served as U.S. attorney general under President Lyndon B.
Johnson in the 1960s, offered to aid in Milosevic's defence. Clark told
reporters in Belgrade he was considering joining Milosevic's defence team
but that he would insist that Yugoslav lawyers take the lead.
Clark, who had been an outspoken opponent of NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia,
said he was holding talks with Milosevic's lawyers. He said the United
Nations, "coerced by the USA," was behind the charges against Milosevic. He
said he had not spoken with Milosevic.
Find this article at:
http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/europe/07/02/milosevic.trial/index.html
Serbian News Network - SNN
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.antic.org/
