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Slobodan Milosevic Trial

© Tony Lacey

The former Yugoslav head of state Slobodan Milosevic was recently arrested and sent to the Hague to face a trial regarding his possible involvement in war crimes.

The UN War Crimes Tribunal was the location of what will become a historic occasion. A former head of state was led by two strong-arm guards from a jail cell into the dock at a trial where he is being charged with having committed war crimes. However, if the occasion called for formality, the man in the dock - former Yugoslav dictator Slobodan Milosevic - was not willing to comply. When the presiding judge Justice Richard May, one of three judges, asked Mr. Milosevic whether he wanted to plead guilty or not guilty, the reply allegedly sent nervous laughter throughout the court. Looking bored with the proceedings, Mr. Milosevic simply said "That's your problem".

A plea of not guilty was entered by the justices on Mr. Milosevic's behalf. Every person who faces the tribunal has a right to legal representation and can even defend themselves. However, Mr. Milosevic did not see any reason for appointing a lawyer. In his opinion, the tribunal is "a false tribunal and the indictment a false indictment. It is illegal" ("http://uk.news.yahoo.com/010704/140/bx9c..."). The defiance shown by the former dictator may have intimidated some, but Justice May proved his mettle by matching Mr. Milosevic's remarks with a curt reminder that it was "not the time for speeches". It was in response to the Yugoslav's claim that the war crimes trial was being used by NATO as a way to cover-up offences that the organisation had carried out in his home state ("http://uk.news.yahoo.com/010703/80/bx8ad...").

Whilst the trial will last for many weeks, peace back in Yugoslavia may not. There has been an angry backlash against Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic's decision to extradite Mr. Milosevic. If Mr. Djindjic had allowed Mr. Milosevic to be tried in a Yugoslav court, he risked isolating the country from the rest of Europe and crippling its internal economy. However, by releasing Mr. Milosevic into the hands of the UN the Prime Minister will see increased financial aid coming from many Western states supportive of his decision. Despite the unrest it has caused, Mr. Djindjic is adamant he made the right choice for the country, saying that "if we hadn’t, then we would definitely have faced economic collapse. So I had to take the risk" ("http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,3-2...").

In return for the decision to extradite Mr. Milosevic, the federal Prime Minister Zoran Zizic resigned from the Yugoslav government, feeling that it was the wrong move. This has made Mr. Djindjic's government a minority one and it may prove difficult to prevent further unrest. Over 15,000 loyal supporters of Mr.

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