2003.06.11
Chairman of Duma committee on Yugoslavia proposes to suspend hearings in the Hague Tribunal for one year
Chairman of the State Duma's special committee on Yugoslavia Nikolai Ryzhkov
has proposed suspending hearings of the case of former Yugoslavian President
Slobodan Milosevic in the Hague Tribunal for a year.
He voiced his opinion on Wednesday at a press conference in the State
Duma after his visit to The Hague, where on June 6th he met Milosevic
in prison.
Ryzhkov said a break was necessary because of the ex-president's health.
Also, Milosevic needs time to thoroughly prepare for the hearings and
for defence.
By January-February 2004 the Hague tribunal intends to finish hearing
of witnesses for the prosecution, according to the chairman. By now it
has listened to about 180 witnesses, other 200 are yet to speak. The prosecution's
documents exceed 400,000 pages, he said. Milosevic needs a break, as having
refused services of lawyers he defends himself on his own and thus has
enormous load preparing for the hearings that take place five times a
week, Ryzhkov explained.
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TO END ALL NATO/HAGUE INJUSTICES AND TO STAND FOR FREEDOM OF SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC, COME TO THE JUNE 28 HAGUE DEMOS
READ MORE AT:
http://www.sloboda.org.yu/engleski/demonstration-1.htm