Court to decide if Milosevic should return to prison

A district court reviewing medical tests on Slobodan Milosevic is to decide today whether the former Yugoslav president is to return to his prison cell, one of his lawyers said.

Milosevic has been under guard at Belgrade military hospital since late on Wednesday, when he was rushed from Central Prison after complaining of chest pains.

All medical tests on Milosevic, 59, were completed by midday today, said attorney Miroslav Vasic.

He added, however, that the team of lawyers representing the former president did not know what test results said.

It was up to Belgrade’s district court to declare after examining the medical findings whether Milosevic was fit enough to be returned to the prison.

A decision from the court is expected later today, Vasic said.

If he is sent back to prison, Milosevic could either be placed in the medical ward or be returned to his original cell, Vasic said.

Doctors examining Milosevic yesterday found no evidence of heart disease and a scan of his coronary arteries was in order, officials said.

The former president was diagnosed as having high blood pressure a condition he already had when admitted to the prison on April 1.

Milosevic was detained for 30 days under a court order, pending an investigation into abuse of power and corruption charges that could be expanded to examine other alleged crimes, including ordering political assassinations.

The post-Milosevic government seeks to have him tried at home for alleged wrongdoings during his 13 years in power.

It is refusing to give in to international pressure to have him tried by the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague for alleged atrocities in the Kosovo war at least until he faces justice in Serbia.

Milosevic was forced to step down from power in October following riots over his refusal to accept electoral defeat.