Milosevic trial finely balanced

By STEPHEN CASTLE in Brussels

Prosecutors today finish the first stage of Europe's biggest war crimes trial since World War II - without producing a key insider to link former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic with a string of atrocities.

After 95 days in court and 124 witnesses seen in public - and several more behind closed doors - the case against Milosevic for crimes in Kosovo remains finely balanced.

Drama has rarely been far from the biggest trial since Nuremburg. Proceedings in The Hague began in February with a spectacular display of verbal defiance from Milosevic, and have been delayed on several occasions by the defendant's poor health. A report from United Nations doctors ruled that the former Yugoslav President is at risk of having a heart attack.

In the absence of testimony against him from one of Milosevic's close allies, the tribunal's chief prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, submitted more than 300 exhibits including statements, videos, maps and charts.

The prosecution has tried a painstaking approach, building up a picture which, it says, proves Milosevic must have known about the murder and deportation of ethnic Albanians in Kosovo, and that he therefore bears command responsibility.

Milosevic has remained defiant, often appearing the victor of courtroom exchanges, but he faces an uphill battle if he is to persuade judges he knew nothing of the war crimes committed by Serb forces.

Prosecutors presented harrowing testimony from witnesses which provides ample evidence that atrocities took place, and spent hours outlining the Yugoslav military and political structures, illustrating Milosevic's role. They also have produced international witnesses who say they told the accused what was happening. In March, Balkans expert Lord Paddy Ashdown told the tribunal he warned Milosevic at a meeting in Belgrade in 1998 that he could face an international backlash and war crimes charges.

Since the trial opened, Milosevic has refused to accept the authority of the tribunal or to plead to 66 counts of war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo - although judges entered a not guilty plea on his behalf.



There will be a two-week delay before the prosecutor outlines the case against Milosevic for crimes in Croatia and Bosnia - for which he is charged with genocide.

The whole trial is likely to last another two years.

- INDEPENDENT