English translation of letters written by Slobodan Milosevic's widow, Mira Markovic, and their son Marko Milosevic read out at his funeral in Pozarevac on March 18, 2006.

MIRA MARKOVIC'S LETTER:

Our anniversary was on March 14, our love was born on March 17, March was our month and in March we are biding farewell.

We were constantly together ... You have spent five years in prison and I have not seen you in three years. You returned home from The Hague prison and I am not there with you. The criminals who murdered you in The Hague want my life, and maybe the life of our children. You were murdered by criminals who, by the achievement of our ideals, were deprived of the privileges they won through other people's work.

You have returned home to stay here forever in this spot.

I am not here with you, at our home.

Every struggle against injustice will in the future be inspired by you.

I will continue where you stopped, I will love our children, our country our home and I will fight for our ideals.

I was waiting for you for five long years, but I was not fortunate enough to see you. Now you are waiting for me.

Love, Your Mira.
 

MARKO MILOSEVIC'S LETTER:

Dad, I fulfilled what you asked me of and I sent you home, here with us, where you wished, where your place is. Here, where Marija and I grew up and where (grandson) Marko is growing up.

Here, to one of the most beautiful places in this holy Serbian land where the greatest Serbian heroes and martyrs lived and died for their homeland for more than two centuries, both under the Orthodox cross and five-point star.

Unfortunately, you are not the first to return here losing their life but, as all before you, winning the war and gaining freedom.

Let your death be holy and let it be remembered forever and let it be the last. Let it sober humiliated and deceived Serbian people. Let it remind them of all Serbian martyrs, from King Lazar, to you, so never again a single Serbian patriot will be betrayed and lose his life.

Let Serbia return all those from this shameful and doomed place where I saw you last. Never should aggressors and occupiers be allowed to set foot on this land. Do not allow freedom and dignity be buried with your death. Let freedom and peace replace violence, betrayal, persecution and humiliation that rule this country.

Traitors and cowards justify a betrayal of the homeland with national interests. Real patriots and heroes die for the homeland like you did. Dying for homeland means living forever.

Dad, when your heart stops beating, mine is just ticking.

Be finally in peace and free, you have come home.

Here, you will be with us forever. Although your heart does not work any more, we give you ours, to remain with you forever.

I love you forever and ever, the most in the world.

May you rest in peace,

Marko.

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