Butcher of the Balkans died from a heart attack

The Times, London


World News

The Times
March 13, 2006

Butcher of the Balkans died from a heart attack, says officials
By Anthony Browne in Brussels, Jeremy Page in Moscow and Frances Gibb


SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC died of heart failure, according to a summary of
the post-mortem examination of the former Serbian President.

Alexandra Milenov, a spokeswoman for the UN war crimes tribunal, said
pathologists had found that Milosevic was suffering from two
unspecified heart conditions, which doctors determined might have
caused the heart attack.

Toxicological tests were still to be carried out and an inquiry into
Milosevic’s death, ordered by the tribunal president, Fausto Pocar,
was continuing, she said.

The findings of the eight-hour examination appeared to disprove fears
that Milosevic, 64, who was found dead in his cell on Saturday, had
been poisoned or taken his own life.

But an inquiry will be held as to why an antibiotic that is usually
prescribed for leprosy or tuberculosis was found in his blood. The
drug, which was not prescribed by his doctors, would have countered
his medication to lower blood pressure.

Milosevic’s death has sparked a fierce row between members of his own
family over where he should be buried. His body will be released to
his family later today.

Milosevic’s prosecutor angrily tried to quash claims by the
dictator’s supporters that he had been poisoned in his cell.

But outside the UN war crimes tribunal at The Hague, his legal
adviser produced a letter, apparently written by Milosevic just
before he died, in which he claimed that he was being poisoned and
appealed for help.

Serbian newspapers claimed that the former Yugoslavian strongman had
been murdered at the tribunal, where judges were due within months to
give a verdict after a four-year trial.

Milosevic, who was facing trial on 66 counts, was found dead on his
prison bed on Saturday. His death came just six days after his former
ally, the Croatian Serb leader Milan Babic, committed suicide in the
same prison.

Outside The Hague tribunal, Zdenko Tomanovic, who advised Milosevic
throughout the trial, showed journalists a handwritten letter in
which Milosevic claimed: “They would like to poison me. I’m seriously
concerned and worried.”

Serbian nationalists are keen to show their hero, who started four
wars that killed hundreds of thousands of people, as the victim of
“victor’s justice”.

Carla del Ponte, the UN’s chief war crimes prosecutor, who had
brought the “Butcher of the Balkans” to trial, denied any wrongdoing.

She had suggested that Milosevic might have committed suicide as he
faced the likely prospect of life in prison.

Ms del Ponte conceded that his death was a “total defeat” of her
attempt to bring him to justice. “The trial would have closed with a
condemnation requesting he be shut away for life. Perhaps he wanted
to avoid all that,” she said.

However, this was dismissed by his British lawyer, Steven Kay, QC,
who said that Milosevic had told him before he died: “I have not come
all this way not to see it to the end.”

Milosevic was recently refused permission to travel to Moscow for
treatment of a heart condition. Mr Kay suggested that he might not
have been taking his medicine correctly. “Whether he took it as
prescribed we don’t know,” he said.

Dutch doctors carried out the post-mortem examination yesterday under
the eyes of Serbian government officials, after the coroner failed to
establish a cause of death, and the tribunal said there were no signs
of suicide or unnatural causes.

Milosevic’s wife, Mira Markovic, and son Marko, both in exile in
Russia, want him buried in Moscow, while his daughter Marija wants
him to be buried in the family grave in Montenegro. “He’s not a
Russian to be buried in Moscow,” she said.

His elder brother Borislav told The Times that he and other members
of the family wanted the funeral to take place in Belgrade. “He was a
leader of the people and a leader of the state: he should be buried
there,” he said.

His brother had been in good spirits and “had no inkling he was going
to die” when they last spoke by phone on Thursday.

The Socialist Party of Serbia, which Milosevic formerly led, wants a
full state funeral in Belgrade for the former Yugoslav President.
However, his wife and son face arrest if they return to Serbia on
charges of abuse of power.

Boris Tadic, the Serbian President, said last night that Milosevic
should not receive a state funeral and would not grant an amnesty to
Mrs Markovic if she returned for a funeral.

Borislav Milosevic expects a final decision on the funeral
arrangements today.

Copyright 2006 Times Newspapers Ltd.