Milosevic Asks for Fair Treatment Over Wife's Visit

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, February 21, 2002

Milosevic Asks for Fair Treatment Over Wife's Visit

Slobodan Milosevic said in court Wednesday that he was being mistreated because his wife Mira Markovic was denied a visa to visit him during the second week of his trial in The Hague.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Slobodan Milosevic said in court Wednesday that he was being mistreated because his wife Mira Markovic was denied a visa to visit him during the second week of his trial in The Hague.

The former Yugoslav president asked judges to intervene with the Dutch Foreign Ministry -- which has granted Markovic several short-term visas to visit her husband since he was extradited to the court last June -- to ensure he could see her.

"Yesterday, late in the afternoon, the head of the prison informed me that the Dutch Foreign Ministry will not this time issue a visa to my wife," Milosevic told judges in the opening minutes of the seventh day of his trial in the tribunal.

Milosevic and his wife were teenage sweethearts and are reportedly very close. Markovic visited him in August at the U.N. tribunal's detention center in The Hague to mark his 60th birthday.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry confirmed that it had rejected a visa request from Markovic, saying she had given too little notice for the required security measures to be put in place, reports reaching here said.

Presiding Judge Richard May, who Tuesday granted Milosevic's request for the court to adjourn early Thursday because he expected "a visit from my family," said he had no power over the Dutch government but noted Milosevic's concerns.

"I should like to prevail on you to intervene because this is ill treatment once again," Milosevic told the court.

He also accused the court of violating his rights during his pre-trial appearances. He was chastised for flouting a detention center ban on media interviews and complained about a suicide watch on his cell.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Trial of Milosevic Starts in The Hague

Milosevic Questions First Prosecution Witness

Milosevic Continues to Recall "Historical Facts" at Trial

>> Full Coverage