The trial of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic continues in the Hague, with the prosecution calling more witnesses to testify about his role in alleged war crimes in the Balkans conflicts of the 1990s.

In a victory for Mr. Milosevic, the U.N. war crimes tribunal excluded Wednesday testimony by Kevin Curtis, the prosecution's chief investigator for Kosovo. The court said the testimony would be irrelevant since it was based solely on reports he heard from others.

Mr. Milosevic is conducting his own defense. On Tuesday he clashed with former Kosovo Communist party chief Mahmut Bakalli over the interpretation of Serbian government policies in Kosovo. During his cross-examination, Mr. Milosevic sought to discredit Mr. Bakalli's testimony that the former Yugoslav leader had a formal plan to kill ethnic Albanians in the Serbian province.

Meanwhile, Mr. Milosevic has complained about the Dutch government's refusal to grant his wife a visa visit him later this week. He called the action an example of physical mistreatment. Mr. Milosevic, who was educated as a lawyer, rejects the legitimacy of the Hague war crimes tribunal.

The former Yugoslav leader is defending himself against 66 charges, including crimes against humanity during wars in Croatia and Kosovo and genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.

The combined prosecution could take up to two years. Mr. Milosevic faces life in prison if convicted.

Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.

Email this article to a friend
Printer Friendly Version