U.N. chief prosecutor rejects splitting Milosevic trial
Deutsche Presse-Agentur - July 28, 2004

The Hague - The U.N. chief prosecutor at the war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia, Carla Del Ponte, on Wednesday rejected a proposal that the trial of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic be split into separate components. It would not be in the interests of the administration of justice to separate the charges relating to Kosovo, Croatia and Bosnia- Herzegovina into different processes, Del Ponte said in a statement.

Last week judges from the United Nations Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) announced they were considering splitting Milosevic's trial into separate components in order to bring about a speedier conclusion.

Del Ponte emphasized that Milosevic should have a defence lawyer appointed to represent him, even against the former leader's will. The right to defend oneself should not dictate the course of the trial, she said. Milosevic has defended himself, leading to many delays because of the 62-year-old's persistent heart problems. He has refused to agree to the appointment of a defence lawyer. The trial, which began in February 2002, is scheduled to resume on August 31 with Milosevic's defence. He is accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The prosecution rested its case last February. dpa dt pmc

July 28, 2004, Wednesday - 15:23:33 Central European Time
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