Witness Boycott Forces Trial to be Stopped Again
www.slobodan-milosevic.org - October 13, 2004

After a month-long recess designed to enable Mr. Kay, the lawyer imposed on Slobodan Milosevic against his will, to find enough witnesses to continue the trial. The tribunal has run head-long into a brick wall.

Over the month-long adjournment, Mr. Kay managed to secure the testimony of one Franz Josef Hutsch. After Hutsch finished his testimony this morning, Mr. Kay found himself without any more witnesses to call.

The defense witnesses are effectively boycotting the trial. They are refusing to testify unless the tribunal returns the right of self-defense to Milosevic.

Because there are no witnesses that Mr. Kay can call, the trial had to be cancelled until October 21st, at which time the appeals chamber is expected to hand down its ruling regarding an appeal filed against Mr. Kay’s appointment.

The tribunal, which apparently believes that a speedy trial is more important than a fair trial, claims that it had to impose Mr. Kay on Milosevic, because Milosevic’s health delayed the trial.

It is now quite obvious that the imposition of counsel itself is severely delaying the trial. In the six weeks that counsel has been imposed only four witnesses have testified.

If the tribunal persists in denying Slobodan Milosevic the right to present his defense, then it will be obvious that their concern for a “speedy trial” was just a smoke screen to cover their real political objectives, which will undoubtedly be harmed if Milosevic is allowed to present his own defense.

For his part, Milosevic has stood firm. Milosevic has refused to take any part in the proceedings, except to ask in very forceful and clear terms that his right to self-defense be returned to him.
 

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