NETHERLANDS: FORMER YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT ZORAN LILIC HAS APPEARED AS A WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION IN THE CASE AGAINST SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC

Record ID: 645890

  • Title: NETHERLANDS: FORMER YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT ZORAN LILIC HAS APPEARED AS A WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION IN THE CASE AGAINST SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC
  • Date: 17th June 2003
  • Summary: (EU) THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (JUNE 17, 2003) (REUTERS) SLV EXTERIOR OF ICTY BUILDING CU U.N. FLAG FLYING
  • Embargoed: 2nd July 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS
  • Country: Netherlands
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVA29F407QW9W4EPMQFV09QW6N5J
  • Story Text: Former Yugoslav President Zoran Lilic, who last year sought guarantees against prosecution before testifying, has appeared as a witness for the prosecution in the case against Slobodan Milosevic.
    Zoran Lilic, Slobodan Milosevic's predecessor as Yugoslav president, began three days of key testimony at the U.N. war crimes tribunal. But his testimony has been limited in the evidence he can give by an obligation to Belgrade not to disclose military and state secrets.
    Lilic held the Yugoslav federal presidency from 1993-97 when it was largely a ceremonial position.
    The presidency became a real power centre when Milosevic took over after two terms as president of Serbia, Yugoslavia's dominant republic.
    In a potentially setback for the prosecutors, Lilic told the court he believed Milosevic had no role in ordering the massacre near Srebrenica in eastern Bosnia in 1995.
    U.N. prosecutors have charged Milosevic with genocide, the most serious crime in the tribunal's statute, for the killings.
    More than 7,500 Muslims were killed in the slaughter.
    Lilic said Milosevic was extremely angry after hearing about the slaughter saying Milosevic believed it would undermine his efforts to project himself as a peacemaker during the Dayton, Ohio, talks that ultimately ended the 3 and a half year war.
    Milosevic, who is defending himself against 66 counts of alleged war crimes at the U.N. court, was the president of Serbia throughout Lilic's term, but had de facto political and military power throughout the federation.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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