MILOSEVIC OPENS DEFENCE

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MILOSEVIC OPENS DEFENCE

Slobodan Milosevic has described the war crimes allegations against him as an "unscrupulous lie and a tireless distortion of history".

The former Yugoslav president came out fighting in his much-delayed defence at his war crimes trial at The Hague.

He accused the West of encouraging ethnic groups to destroy Yugoslavia when Western leaders demanded the country's Serb-dominated army not intervene in nationalist rebellions.

"Accusations levelled against me are an unscrupulous lie and also a tireless distortion of history," he told the court.

"Everything has been presented in a lopsided manner in order to protect those who are truly responsible."

"A multi-ethnic, multi-confessional state was destroyed ... this constitutes the gravest international crime.

"Hundreds of thousands of people were wounded and maimed. Thousands of people fled their homes, mostly Serbs."

He concluded: "This is a classical example of an armed rebellion against a state.

"The state is duty bound to take all necessary measures to restore law and order."

Milosevic faces charges relating to genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo in the 1990s.

He has refused to enter a plea and does recognise the legality of the court.

The trial has been delayed by months due to the 63-year-old's ill-health.

But he looked relaxed and at ease as he opened his defence.

The court has given Milosevic 150 days to present his case.

He intends to call more than 1,000 witnesses, including British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former US President Bill Clinton.

Prosecutors rested their case in February after calling more than 290 witnesses.

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-13209597,00.html

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COURT TACKLES DELAYS

Judges at The Hague tribunal have imposed a defence counsel on former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic.

The move is designed to avoid further delays in his war crimes trial.

This week Milosevic finished his opening defence statement against charges of ethnic cleansing in the Balkans.

It was months later than planned because of his heart condition and high blood pressure.

Prosecutors had demanded judges impose a defence counsel on Milosevic, despite his objections.

He branded the move a "scandal" and stormed: "You can not deny me the right to defend myself."

But presiding trial judge Patrick Robinson said: "It is plain from the medical reports that the accused is not fit enough to defend himself."

Milosevic is accused of crimes against humanity in Croatia in 1991 and 1992 and genocide in Bosnia-Hercegovina between 1992 and 1995.

The last charge relates to the deaths of thousands of Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Croats, including the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.

He is also charged with responsibility for atrocities carried out in Kosovo in 1999.

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-13211287,00.html

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BRITS TO DEFEND MILOSEVIC

A senior British barrister and his assistant have been appointed to one of the toughest jobs in the legal world.

Steven Kay QC and fellow barrister Gillian Higgins have been named as defence counsel for former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic in his trial for war crimes and genocide.

The two lawyers have until now acted as court observers at the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia in the Hague.

But moving to end repeated trial delays, the UN tribunal imposed the defence lawyers on Milosevic, whose doctors say his heart condition could become life-threatening if he continues to represent himself.

They will take over Milosevic's case from next Tuesday, when his first defence witnesses are due to be called.

Earlier this week, Milosevic finished his opening defence statement against charges of ethnic cleansing in the Balkans.

He branded the UN's move to impose a legal team on him as a "scandal" and stormed: "You can not deny me the right to defend myself."

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-13211287,00.html