Tribunal mulls subpoenas as Milosevic trial stalls

THE HAGUE – Judges at the UN war crimes court stressed yesterday that they would not hesitate to issue subpoenas forcing witnesses to testify in the trial of former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic, after his court-appointed lawyers said half of the defence witnesses planned for the Kosovo part of the trial refused to appear.

Most of the witnesses have said they are not testifying to protest the fact that the court has assigned two defence lawyers to the former Yugoslav president against his will. “Of course, the subpoena is a last resort but once the procedure has been exhausted the Chamber will issue subpoenas,” presiding judge Patrick Robinson said yesterday.”It has to be demonstrated to witnesses that this trial is a matter of fundamental importance.”The judges as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) have already issued many subpoenas and summons for witnesses to appear in the prosecution case against Milosevic, which was wrapped up in February.Judge Robinson said Monday that some 50 per cent of the 138 scheduled to appear as defence witnesses for the Kosovo part of the trial have said they do not want to testify until Milosevic’s right to represent himself is restored.Milosevic has been on trial before the UN court here for over 60 charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity since February 2002.The charges relate to the wars that accompanied the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia, from 1992-95 in Bosnia, 1991-95 in Croatia and 1998-99 in Kosovo.- Nampa-AFP”Of course, the subpoena is a last resort but once the procedure has been exhausted the Chamber will issue subpoenas,” presiding judge Patrick Robinson said yesterday.”It has to be demonstrated to witnesses that this trial is a matter of fundamental importance.”The judges as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) have already issued many subpoenas and summons for witnesses to appear in the prosecution case against Milosevic, which was wrapped up in February.Judge Robinson said Monday that some 50 per cent of the 138 scheduled to appear as defence witnesses for the Kosovo part of the trial have said they do not want to testify until Milosevic’s right to represent himself is restored.Milosevic has been on trial before the UN court here for over 60 charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity since February 2002.The charges relate to the wars that accompanied the bloody break-up of Yugoslavia, from 1992-95 in Bosnia, 1991-95 in Croatia and 1998-99 in Kosovo.- Nampa-AFP