"TRIAL" SYNOPSIS SEPTEMBER 2ND 2003
www.slobodan-milosevic.org - September 2, 2003

Written by: Andy Wilcoxson

The testimony of the secret witness testifying under the pseudonym of "B-1505" was concluded today.

"B-1505" alleged that the JNA came to Visegrad, dismissed the legal authorities, and armed the Serbs for the purposes of "ethnic cleansing." A problem with "B-1505's" testimony was that this so-called "B-1505" didn't mention anything about the JNA arming the Serbs in his written statement. This was a new detail that he only remembered once he took the witness stand.

And speaking of arms, this "B-1505" claimed with full certainty that there were no armed Muslims in Visegrad, and that there were no Muslim extremist groups in Visegrad, two claims which are outright absurdities.

Before "B-1505" repeated the same old tired Muslim line about not having any weapons; he spoke about how Murat Sabanovic (the brother of the SDA vice-president in Visegrad) tore down the statue of Ivo Andric (Yugoslavia's only Nobel Prize winner) and threw the monument into the Drina River. "B-1505" also admitted that this same Sabanovic seized control of the hydroelectric dam and threatened to blow it up. However not to worry, according to our witness, in spite of the fact that people were living on the river, nobody would have been hurt even if the dam had been blown-up. How reassuring!

I really fail to see how it could be possible that the witness could say with a straight face that blowing-up the dam would be a harmless endeavor. The witness admitted previously that when this Sabanovic took control of the dam he had opened the flood gates and allowed water to flood the populated areas down stream. It seems to me that it would have been even worse had he blown-up the dam completely.

It was made clear by this witness's testimony that the JNA did not come to Visegrad until after this major provocation, which the witness didn't think was that big of a deal, had taken place. It was on April 13, 1992 that Sabanovic released the flood onto the civilian population, and it was on April 15, 1992 that the Uzica Corps of the JNA arrived to protect the civilians and to regain control of the dam.

"B-1505" admitted that the people of Visegrad had asked the JNA to protect them and that the JNA did in fact protect them."B-1505" is a witness who needs to make up his mind. If he is going to lie then he should at least make his mind up about which lie to tell. On the one hand he claimed that nobody could get out of Visegrad that they were all trapped, and on the other hand he claimed that the Muslims were all chased out of Visegrad.

"B-1505" has previously testified at other "trials" at the Hague Tribunal, and so transcripts are available. Previously he testified that he only knew of one person who was killed in JNA operations, but now all of the sudden he knows about numerous people who he claims were killed by the JNA. How interesting, this witness either has the ability to travel back in time and see the JNA doing this, or else he is simply parroting back what somebody else told him.

For more information about events in Visegrad visit the following link:
http://www.slobodan-milosevic.org/documents/reports/8-a.htm

After "B-1505" was concluded the so-called "trial" went into closed session where they did God only knows what.

Later on in the afternoon a status conference was held President Milosevic to establish parameters of the "defense case." President Milosevic told the "tribunal" that time and circumstances were the key issues.
 
President Milosevic stated that he needed at least two years to prepare a response to the absurd allegations that have been made against him.
 
Furthermore, President Milosevic has demanded unimpeded contact with witnesses and the ability to access key documents needed to refute the lies that have been put forward in The Hague, which can only be done if he is released.

President Milosevic pointed out that although he regards the so-called "court" as illegal, he still considers it the obligation of the so-called "trial chamber" to give him adequate time to prepare a defense.

Following President Milosevic's brilliant presentation, the so-called "Judge" May did not hesitate to immediately deny, any request for provisional release. Without giving any reason Mr. May also dismissed President Milosevic's request for two years to prepare his case.

After submissions from the amicus curiae and the so-called "prosecution", President Milosevic spoke again, and claimed that the "Prosecution's" suggestion that both parties were on an equal footing was absurd.

President Milosevic concluded his remarks by stating that at the ICTY there is only a prosecution and no defense, nor is there equality of arms.

The so-called "trial chamber" has not issued any rulings on the submissions made today, but has already rejected President Milosevic's demands without any deliberation. A decision setting out the parameters of President Milosevic's presentation his defense case is expected soon.
 
The so-called "Judge" May said that "The accused must make the preparations for his defense while he is in custody." He noted that the court had previously denied a provisional release request by Milosevic, who has been in detention since his illegal transfer to The Hague in 2001.
 
"There can be no question during a trial of a break of two years," May said, adding that judges would consider how long Milosevic should be given to prepare his case."
 
It is absurd that the so-called "tribunal" should deny President Milosevic this time. The so-called "prosecution" has brought over 230 witnesses so far to testify against him. The transcript of the "prosecution's" case is over 25,000 pages long. President Milosevic needs at least 2 years to prepare an adequate defense from all of those allegations.
 

NOTE: www.slobodan-milosevic.org will provide a synopsis of tyesterday's "trial" hearing no later than Friday September 5, 2003.