War crimes court delivers Milosevic arrest warrant

The UN war crimes tribunal has presented Yugoslav authorities with a warrant for the arrest of Slobodan Milosevic.

Hans Holthuis, registrar of the tribunal based in The Hague, has submitted the warrant and the original indictment to the federal and Serbian justice ministers.

Mr Holthuis says he wanted to be sure they are served to Mr Milosevic, before presenting the documents to Serbian Justice Minister Vladan Batic.

Mr Holthuis' visit marks a hardening of the tribunal's stand in demanding that Milosevic stand trial in The Hague for atrocities allegedly committed by his forces against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo in 1998 and 1999.

The UN court indicted Milosevic and four senior associates in May 1999 on three counts of crimes against humanity and one count of violations of the laws and customs of war.

If tried and convicted, those charges would bring the tribunal's maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

In addition, the tribunal plans to file charges against Milosevic for similar offences committed during wars in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina in the last decade. Milosevic now acknowledges he financed Serb rebels fighting against independence for those former Yugoslav republics.

While in Belgrade Mr Holthuis also plans to discuss the status of Yugoslav charges of corruption and abuse of power filed against Milosevic after he surrendered last weekend following a 26-hour armed stand-off.