Milosevic at 'serious risk' of heart attack, says judge

Stephen Castle
Friday 26 July 2002 00:00 BST
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Slobodan Milosevic is in serious danger of suffering a heart attack, according to a report from UN doctors which cast a new shadow over his war crimes trial.

Only days after the trial was suspended because of Mr Milosevic's high blood pressure, the court was told that the former Yugoslav president, who is charged with war crimes, including genocide, faces "a severe cardiovascular risk which will require careful monitoring".

Although Mr Milosevic, who is 60, has also suffered from two bouts of flu and high fever, which delayed proceedings by a month, the conclusion of two independent Dutch doctors was more dramatic than expected.

Reviewing the medical advice, the presiding judge, Richard May, said yesterday that Mr Milosevic's "workload must be reduced and the medical treatment by a cardiologist is most advisable".

The former Yugoslav leader has refused to accept the authority of the UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague, has not appointed defence counsel and has spent hours conducting his own defence and cross-examining witnesses.

Yesterday he remained in aggressive form as he rejected suggestions that he appoint a part-time defence counsel to help with cross-examination.

In a characteristically robust response, Mr Milosevic said he had never sought medical examination, "not even when I suffered high fever", and argued that those who wanted him to appoint a lawyer "should not harbour any illusions that I am asking for anything".

In an echo of the defiant words he used when refusing to enter a plea at the start of the trial, Mr Milosevic added: "The fact that you ordered that I be examined and that you got a report is your problem now. It's not my problem."

The hearing yesterday heard evidence that Mr Milosevic received daily reports of events in 1999 in Kosovo, where Serb forces were performing ethnic cleansing, and helped to arrange funding for interior ministry forces.

Despite his trademark display of verbal pyrotechnics, Mr Milosevic, sporting a red tie and a blue shirt, occasionally showed signs of tiredness as he listened to evidence yesterday. Some regular observers say that his health has clearly worsened since the trial began.

The fatigue may be directly linked to the vigour with which he is fighting his corner. The prosecuting barrister Geoffrey Nice told the court that since the case opened Mr Milosevic had taken up 140 hours of the tribunal's time, as opposed to 92 hours for the prosecution.

The defendant's medical condition leaves the tribunal with a series of unenviable options. If the present situation continues, Mr Milosevic's supporters may be able to argue that the proceedings are driving him to ill health.

The judges could appoint a lawyer on Mr Milosevic's behalf, but if, as expected, the defendant refused to co-operate with his barrister, the case could suffer from further confusion.

Finally, it could alter the working pattern of the court to reduce the stress on Mr Milosevic. That prospect, which is perhaps the most likely, would mean that the trial – already likely to last a further two years – would be extended even more.

Yesterday the prosecution was given until 16 May next year to finish presenting its 66 charges against Mr Milosevic for atrocities in Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia, with a total of 177 witnesses scheduled to testify over war crimes in Bosnia and Croatia. The defendant will have an equal time to respond.

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