The trial of Slobodan Milosovic began in The Hague, February 12, before Trial Chamber 1 of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and is expected to last well into next year. It is undoubtedly the Tribunal’s most important case, to date.
Faced with 66 counts of war crimes, ranging from crimes against humanity to murder and genocide, the former president of Yugoslavia has chosen to mount no defense and hire no counsel.
Instead, he has gone on the attack, attempting a one-man independent Prosecution of the United States, Great Britain, Germany and the other NATO powers.
“I hold this to be an illegal tribunal and an illegal indictment.”
His now famous statement, during his first appearance before the War Crimes Tribunal, on July 3, last year, has set the defiant tone of his entire courtroom performance.
The Prosecution has stated the intent to prove that the Serbian war crimes of Kosovo, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are all part of a master plan, conceived by Slobodan Milosovic, purely for the purpose of his own self-aggrandisement.
Faced with 66 counts of war crimes, ranging from crimes against humanity to murder and genocide, the former president of Yugoslavia has chosen to mount no defense and hire no counsel.
Instead, he has gone on the attack, attempting a one-man independent Prosecution of the United States, Great Britain, Germany and the other NATO powers.
“I hold this to be an illegal tribunal and an illegal indictment.”
His now famous statement, during his first appearance before the War Crimes Tribunal, on July 3, last year, has set the defiant tone of his entire courtroom performance.
The Prosecution has stated the intent to prove that the Serbian war crimes of Kosovo, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina are all part of a master plan, conceived by Slobodan Milosovic, purely for the purpose of his own self-aggrandisement.