YUGOSLAVIA: YUGOSLAV'S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT ORDERS PROCESS TO EXTRADITE FORMER PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC TO BE FROZEN

Record ID: 648258

  • Title: YUGOSLAVIA: YUGOSLAV'S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT ORDERS PROCESS TO EXTRADITE FORMER PRESIDENT SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC TO BE FROZEN
  • Date: 28th June 2001
  • Summary: BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA (JUNE 28, 2001) (REUTERS ACCESS ALL) 1. PAN OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT IN SESSION 0.06 2. SV: COURT PRESIDENT MILAN SRDIC WHO SUBMITTED HIS RESIGNATION JUST BEFORE THE COURT WAS TO BEGIN DISCUSSING MOVES TO HAND OVER SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC TO THE HAGUE 0.12 3. PAN SHOT FROM JOURNALISTS ONTO THE DOCUMENT IN QUESTION 0.20 4. SCU: SOUNDBITE (Serbian) ARANDJEL MARKICEVIC, THE REPORTING JUDGE READING OUT THE PROPOSAL IN FRONT OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT SAYING: "To order to immediately stop implementation of every act and measure from the decree until the decision on whether the decree is constitution and legal is reached. According to the side who submitted the motion, the implementation of the decree could cause unforseeable damage and consequences." 0.39 5. SV: MILOSEVIC'S LAWYERS ATTENDING THE SESSION 0.43 6. PAN: MEMBERS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT VOTING 0.53 7. MV/SV: MILOSEVIC'S LAWYERS CELEBRATING (2 SHOTS) 1.03 8. SCU: SOUNDBITE (Serbian) TOMA FILA, ONE OF MILOSEVIC'S LAWYERS SAYING: "This is the victory of the law over lawlessness. This is the victory of law over politics. Everyone who believed that he can change the constitution and violate peoples constitutional rights, forcefully, by adopting a decree with half of the government, is now aware that there is a constitutional court, law and legality in this country." 1.23 9. SCU: SOUNDBITE (Serbian) ZORAN ZIVKOVIC, YUGOSLAV INTERIOR MINISTER SAYING: "Democratic Opposition of Serbia (DOS) decided last night to continue cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. As far as I know, the session of the Serbian government should start any moment. According to the decree, republican authorities are in charge of implementing cooperation with the Hague." 1.41 10. MV: MILOSEVIC'S LAWYERS TOASTING EACH OTHER 1.46 11. MV: MILOSEVIC'S WIFE AND DAUGHTER-IN-LAW LEAVING THE CENTRAL PRISON 1.53 12. SV: SOUNDBITE (Serbian) MILICA GAJIC, MILOSEVICS DAUGHTER IN LAW SPEAKING SAYING: "I come here every day to visit the father of my husband and a grandfather of my son. But also I come here because I am a Serb and I believe that he (Milosevic) is our biggest national hero and that he deserves admiration and respect of all Serbs and the rest of the free world." 2.28 13. MV/PAN: MILICA GAJIC ENTERING A CAR AND IS DRIVEN AWAY (2 SHOTS) 3.10 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 13th July 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA
  • City:
  • Country: Yugoslavia
  • Reuters ID: LVA3NT26JWA4XE1G9BX2KF1U0IKW
  • Story Text: Moves to hand over Slobodan Milosevic to the U.N. war
    crimes tribunal were thrown into confusion when a top
    Yugoslav court ordered the process to be frozen.


    The court said it had accepted the recommendation of
    one of its judges, who examined the case, to suspend
    implementation of the decree while it decided whether the
    measure was constitutional.

    "I establish that the court accepted the proposal of the
    reporting judge," said judge Milan Vesovic.

    The head of the court Milutin Srdic surprised the court at
    the start of the session, submitting his resignation saying he
    wanted no part in the controversial case.

    But the four remaining judges pressed on and passed a
    unanimous ruling to suspend the decree.

    Many reformist leaders had indicated before the court
    hearing they intended continuing with moves to hand over
    Milosevic whatever its decision.

    They said the court was not independent as many of its
    officials were Milosevic appointees.

    Uncertainty surrounds the position of Yugoslav President
    Kostunica, who had indicated the opinion of the Constitutional
    Court should be respected.

    Kostunica, who describes himself as a moderate
    nationalist, is a leader of the ruling DOS reformist alliance
    but is also a fierce critic of the U.N. tribunal in The Hague.

    He has accused it of practicing selective justice directed at
    Serbs.

    Milosevic was indicted by the tribunal in May 1999,
    charged with crimes against humanity and accused of
    responsibility for mass killings and expulsions of ethnic
    Albanians in Kosovo.

    His lawyers had argued that the government decree on
    cooperation with the tribunal, pushed through by reformist
    ministers at the weekend, violated a constitutional ban on the
    extradition of Yugoslav citizens.

    Backers of the measure said handing a suspect over to The
    Hague did not amount to an extradition as the tribunal is a
    U.N. institution, not a foreign state.

    Meanwhile, Milosevic's wife and daughter-in-law made their
    daily visit to the former President in the central prison.

    For the first time since Milosevic's arrest, Milica
    Gajic, his daughter-in-law spoke to the media camped at the
    front of the prison.

    "I came here because I am Serb and I believe that he
    (Milosevic) is our biggest national hero and that he deserves
    admiration and respect of all Serbs and the rest of the free
    world," she said after visiting her imprisoned father-in-law.


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