JURIST - Paper Chase: Milosevic trial resumes at The Hague after health delay

[JURIST] The trial of former Yugoslav dictator Slobodan Milosevic [BBC profile; ICTY case backgrounder] resumed Monday at The Hague, as the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia [official website] ended its extended winter break. The break had been prolonged [ICTY press release; JURIST report] due to health concerns raised yet again by Milosevic. The court has yet to rule on a request by Milosevic [JURIST report] to suspend the trial and grant him temporary leave from court detention to see Russian medical professionals concerning his heart condition. The ICTY Office of the Prosecutor has opposed the request, fearing that Milosevic will cite health concerns once in Moscow as grounds for not returning to the tribunal. Russian officials have said they will allow Milosevic to travel to Moscow for treatment [JURIST report], and have said they will guarantee his return to the tribunal. Milosevic has been representing himself since a court ruling in 2004 which affirmed his right to conduct his own defense. The court has said that Milosevic has already used over three-quarters of his allowed defense time and hopes to wrap the case up this year [JURIST report]. Reuters has more.

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