The Hague, Netherlands
The U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague this week ordered Slobodan Milosevic to take a medical exam to determine whether he is healthy enough to continue defending himself. The former Yugoslav president has insisted on acting as his own lawyer in his trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity, stemming from the Balkan wars of the 1990s. At age 62, Milosevic has dangerously high blood pressure, which rises when he gets agitated in court. His trial has been postponed for health reasons numerous times since it began in 2002—but not enough to suit him. “This is a classic example of maltreatment of prisoners,” Milosevic said when ordered to appear this week. “This kind of decision making is something we know from the Inquisition.” Prosecutors want the court to declare Milosevic unfit and to appoint a defense lawyer for him.
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