Hague tribunal may need months to announce verdict in Milutinovic trial

25/08/2008

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands -- The trial of former Serbian President Milan Milutinovic and five co-defendants at The Hague war crimes tribunal is due to end on Monday (August 25th), but the verdict may take weeks or months to reach, tribunal spokesperson Nerma Jelacic told Tanjug on Sunday. There is no deadline, she explained, adding that given the size of the trial, the tribunal will need time to reach a decision. Milutinovic and five other former senior Serbian officials allegedly committed war crimes in Kosovo in the first half of 1999. According to the indictment, they persecuted Albanians on a national, religious and racial basis. They also allegedly committed murder, mass deportation and other inhumane actions against civilians. (Kurir - 25/08/08; Tanjug, RTRS - 24/08/08)