MEDICAL TEAM SAYS MILOSEVIC NEEDS AT LEAST SIX WEEKS REST
www.slobodan-milosevic.org - November 13, 2005

Written by: Andy Wilcoxson

An international medical team has called for an immediate halt to the activities of Slobodan Milosevic. The doctors, who examined him on November 4th at the UN Detention unit in The Hague, say that Milosevic needs "a minimum of six weeks'' rest.

The medical team, comprised of Dr. Florence Leclercq, a French cardiologist; Dr. Margarita Shumilina, a Serbian vascular specialist; and Dr. Vukasin Andric, a Russian ear specialist, said that Milosevic's health condition was "unstable" and that complications could arise if he does not get sufficient rest.

President Milosevic's legal associate, Zdenko Tomanovic, told the media on Sunday that Milosevic has been suffering from worsening pains in his neck, ears and head.

The Judges are expected to receive the medical report on Tuesday. If they accept the doctors' advice, the trial should not resume until January of next year. However, the tribunal may attempt to continue the trial in absentia, in which case another witness boycott will ensue.

The tribunal has imposed two British "defense lawyers" on Milosevic against his will, Mr. Steven Kay QC and Ms. Gillian Higgins. Milosevic does not recognize or speak to either of these lawyers, nor do his defense witnesses.

This would not be the first time that the tribunal has attempted to continue the trial in absentia. Earlier this year, defense witness Kosta Bulatovic was convicted of contempt because he refused to testify in the absesnse of Milosevic.

Article 21.4 (D) of the the Hague Tribunal's statute, as well as Article 14.3 (D) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees every accused person the right “to be tried in his presence, and to defend himself in person.”

Unfortunately, the incident with Kosta Bulatovic has already proven that principles such as the law, and the rights of an accused, are irrelevant as far as the Hague Tribunal is concerned.

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