Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- Thursday August 30, 5:54 PM Defiant Milosevic rejects UN court and says his rights violated THE HAGUE, Aug 30 (AFP) - A defiant Slobodan Milosevic made his second appearance before the UN war crimes tribunal Thursday, dismissed it again as illegal and said his conditions of detention were a "massive violation" of his rights. The former Yugoslav leader said he had been kept in "total isolation" in jail in The Hague since his transfer from Belgrade on June 28 to face war crimes charges He asked the court "why my family cannot visit me the same way as others have that possibility." His wife Mira has been allowed to visit him twice in jail. Milosevic's court appearance lasted about 40 minutes during which he said he had prepared a written statement so that the court could not cut off his microphone as it had done during his first hearing. But presiding Judge Richard May switched off Milosevic's microphone again Thursday just before ending the proceedings when Milosevic began a verbal attack on the court, telling him the tribunal would not listen to any political arguments. Milosevic again refused to be represented before the tribunal, arguing that the court was illegal under international law because it was not set up by a vote of the UN General Assembly. So judge May said he would appoint a representative for him -- not as a defense counsel but to assist the court in future hearings. During his first appearance on July 3, Milosevic refused to enter a plea and challenged the court's legitimacy to try him on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes for role in the 1998-99 Serb crackdown on Kosovo. Thursday's hearing, a so-called "status conference", was to ensure that Milosevic understood the charges against him as well as giving him a chance to raise any issues relating to the case, including his mental and physical condition. Milosevic also asked Thursday why he had not been allowed to talk to the press to put across his view of events. Earlier this week, he managed to give a sneak telephone interview to US Fox television in which he hit back at the charges against him, infuriating officials in The Hague. He also told the network he had never directed his troops to kill civilians in Kosovo. But he said they had been under strict orders to "eliminate terrorist groups". "I'm proud for everything I did in defending my country and my people. All my decisions are legitimate and legal, based on the constitution of Yugoslavia and based on the rights to self-defense, which belongs to every nation in the world," he told Fox television. Milosevic has applied to a Dutch district court to challenge the legality of his arrest and detention by the tribunal, arguing he was kidnapped and his human rights were violated. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: archive@jab.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
