Milosevic Questions First Prosecution Witness

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, February 20, 2002

Milosevic Questions First Prosecution Witness

Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevi cross-examined on Tuesday the first prosecution witness in his trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), in The Hague.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevi cross-examined on Tuesday the first prosecution witness in his trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), in The Hague.

In a face-to-face exchange, Milosevic challenged the witness, Mahmut Bakalli, former leader of the Yugoslav province of Kosovo, over the truth of his testimony.

Milosevic queried Bakalli's allegation that the former Yugoslav leader had known about the 1998 killing of 40 members of a single family - the Jasharis - in the Kosovo village of Prekaz.

Milosevic said Jashari family members had refused to surrender, but Bakalli retorted that women and children had been killed.

Bakalli is the first prosecution witness to testify against Milosevic, who ended his cross-examination after about three-and-a- half hours.

Bakalli had earlier told the court of what he called Milosevic' s policy of "apartheid" against the Albanian majority in Kosovo. Milosevic refuted this claim, asking Bakalli to define apartheid and reminding his witness he was under oath, a statement that prompted a curt response from the witness.

Demanding a "yes or no" answer, Milosevic launched into detailed questioning of Bakalli's role as Kosovo leader as well as his alleged links to the Kosovo Liberation Army - the armed group that had fought for an independent Kosovo since the late 1990s.

Both men were frequently interrupted by presiding Judge Richard May, who asked Milosevic to give the witness a chance to respond and to stick to the line of questioning, and Bakalli to keep his answers short.

Bakalli was the first of up to 350 witnesses called by the United Nations tribunal to give evidence. He took the stand after Milosevic concluded his two-and-a-half day opening statement.

Milosevic faces charges of genocide in Bosnia, and of crimes against humanity in Kosovo and Croatia. However, he rejects the legality of the court and has refused to appoint lawyers to defend himself in what is described as the most important war crimes trial since World War II.

Milosevic is the first former head of state to be indicted before an international tribunal. His trial, which began last Tuesday, is expected to last at least two years under the court proceedings.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Lawyers Say Milosevic Expects No Justice on His Trial

Trial of Milosevic Starts in The Hague

Milosevic Continues to Recall "Historical Facts" at Trial

>> Full Coverage