Milosevic trial could last three years

The UN War Crimes Tribunal in the Hague has heard that the trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic could last for up to three years because of the widespread nature of the indictments against him.

Milosevic has already been indicted for war crimes committed in Kosovo and Croatia, but the UN prosecutors want to add a third indictment for crimes committed in Bosnia, including the serious charge of genocide.

If all three indictments are tried separately, Milosevic could be in court for three years.

At today’s hearing, chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte said she has lined up 228 witnesses to testify about the Kosovo atrocities and 255 witnesses in connection with Croatia.

She said she will need 170 days to present her case against Milosevic on five counts of murder and persecution in Kosovo in 1999 and about the same to prosecute 32 counts of war crimes in Croatia, beginning in 1991.

The presiding judge set a tentative trial date of February 12, 2002, to begin the Kosovo trial, but he said that could be delayed if it is combined with the other cases against him.

Meanwhile, Mr Milosevic has accused the tribunal of fuelling terrorism in the Balkans by putting him on trial.

“This trial has a direct impact on inciting terrorism in southern Serbia,” he said.

“I wish to warn you that these past few days and nights, Albanian terrorists in the south of Serbia are slaughtering, killing, plundering, burning, raping, beating and doing everything else exactly as they did in Kosovo.”

The Serbian crackdown on ethnic Albanian militants in Kosovo led to NATO declaring war on Mr Milosevic’s regime in 1999.

Milosevic has said he was defending his country from terrorism and has pointed out that Osama bin Laden, the man blamed for the September 11 atrocities in the United States, visited Albania last year.

At that time, the Americans asked Milosevic for his help in capturing bin Laden.