Slobodan Milosevic: THE SECOND ACT OF THE CRIME AGAINST SERBIAN PEOPLE

PRAVDA.Ru publishes Slobodan Milosevic’s statement made in the Hague Tribunal on October 20, 2001. However, before reading this text, please pay attention to the fact that all the arguments set out by Milosevic were earlier used by Russian diplomacy as well. However, neither Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov or President Putin says this. This is why we invite our readers to read the statement from Slobodan Milosevic.

THE SECOND ACT OF THE CRIME AGAINST SERBIAN PEOPLE

(full transcript of Milosevic's "J'accuse," delivered in the Hague)

SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC:

I demand that you disqualify the prosecutor for obvious reasons, and I will mention only two. First, we heard her yesterday, loud and clear, reading the indictment concerning Kosovo, which only deals with events from the 24th of March until the end of first week of June, when, second, the whole planet knows that it is exactly from the 24th March until the first week of June, inclusive, that NATO committed its criminal aggression against Yugoslavia.

The indictment and what we have heard implies that NATO did not commit aggression against Yugoslavia, but rather that Yugoslavia committed aggression against itself and therefore the consequences of seventy-eight days and seventy-eight nights of bombing Yugoslavia, in which 22,000 tons of bombs were delivered causing huge number of victims - these are not effects of any NATO aggression, but instead are the effects of the aggression Yugoslavia committed against itself.

This is not simple partiality. Partiality is too mild a word. What we have heard surpasses even what we used to hear from the enemy side, i.e., from the NATO spokesman. Thus, it is obviously a case of what you would call total partiality. IF the court is able to remain blind to the fact that from the 24th of March to the first week of June aggression was committed, that the number of victims was huge, that 22,000 tons of bombs was delivered and that an attempt is being made to blame all this on Yugoslavia as if it committed these crimes against itself and to absolve NATO - and I think that even such an illegal court must take into account these facts - if the court does not want to take into account these facts, then it is obvious this is not a court, but only a part of the machinery for the execution of crimes against my country and my people.

If the latter is the case, if the court s would not take into account even such flagrant bias and would disregard such a crucial matter as the aggression, so as not to disqualify the prosecutor for impudent presentation of untruth and for siding with the aggressor if that is the case, and therefore, the court is part of the machinery, then, please, read the verdicts you have been instructed to reach and stop bothering me – making me listen for hours to texts written at the level of a seven-years old child; to put it more precisely - a retarded seven-year old child. Do not bother me, read your verdicts. I think all of this up to now has been a farce. If what we heard yesterday is accepted, that Yugoslavia committed aggression against itself and that there are no consequences of the NATO aggression as far as the prosecution is concerned, all that follows would be a circus. That's why I am suggesting that you reach the verdicts immediately so as to avoid all the procedural problems you are facing.

Second I wish to tell you something and to warn you. I wish to warn you that these trials have a direct influence on inducing terrorism in the south of Serbia. I wish to warn you that these days, these weeks and months Albanian terrorists at the south of Serbia are cutting throats, setting the fires, raping, beating up, plundering and doing everything else they used to do in Kosovo and Metohia. They were given wings because in distinction to the current American administration that has declared an antagonistic position regarding terrorism, the previous administration was in alliance with terrorism. They knew that Osama bin Laden was in Albania two years after he demolished their embassies. They even commented on that fact when meeting with me and my associates. So, please do not induce terrorism in the south of Serbia because people there are suffering too much. You should also bear in mind that because of such terror and under the Untied Nations auspices 330,000 persons were driven from Kosovo and Metohia. 330,000 mainly Serbs under the auspices of the United Nations.

JUDGE MAY:

We have heard that and we would be very glad to hear what you have to say, whether there is something you wish to say regarding your physical and mental state.

SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC:

So, now I have to limit my comments only to that, is that it? OK. Then I wish to request of the court, since I have heard that the opposite side insists that I have no 'privileges' in regard to an expeditious trial, so that I understood your plan is to have the trial last some three years, let me at least not be discriminated against in respect of treatment. Therefore I request that cameras be removed from my prison cell, and that you cease to have your officials present when my family visits. The Explanations for cameras in the cell are senseless. It is explained that cameras are needed to prevent me from committing suicide. I wish to declare here in front of this court that I would never commit suicide because first of all I do not want to do that to my children and my family, to make them children of one who committed suicide.

Secondly. I would never commit suicide because I have to fight here, to destroy this court and this mockery of a trial and it's employers who are using this court against persons fighting for freedom in the world.

Thus, kindly remove the cameras and the officials, because the rule, that cameras could be installed for one month is being abused for 4 months now without any reason, misusing the one month rule because you have the power to do it.

That is what I am requesting, not to be privileged, but not to be further discriminated against, at least in that respect. As far as monitoring of other meetings, taping of telephone conversations, etc., that you ordered,t hat's your problem, you may continue to do that. After all, when my family is here your officials don't have to be present - you may eavesdrop, even without their presence, so I would ask you to free me of this unpleasantness as much as possible.

I ONLY DEFENDED MY PEOPLE FROM TERRORISM ALLIED WITH CLINTON

(transcript of the statement of president Slobodan Milosevic in the Hague "court room" on October 29, 2001 in the morning)

SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC:

First of all, I do not submit any motion to this court because I do not recognize this court. If you consider what I say at this microphone as a motion, that would be your business.

Secondly, regarding amici curiae, I understood your explanation when you appointed amici curiae, that their appointment should contribute towards fair trial, if at all in such an illegal procedure any mention can be made of fair trial. I think that by this, collection of new concepts is enriched, since now a situation where two teams work for the same purpose may now be named The Hague Fair Play. As far as this flood of new amendments and indictments is concerned, that flood may not submerge the truth since the truth is known to millions of people.

I have heard here, as on the previous occasion, expressions of concern because I do not read documents from this false indictment, since, allegedly, I should learn what for I am accused of. I would wish to state that I know very well what for I am accused of. I am accused because I defended my people, in a legal manner and by legitimate means, on the basis of the right of self-defense that belongs to every nation. It was my honour and privilege to defend my people against the criminal aggression committed against it and to defend my people against terrorism Clinton's Administration was closely co-operating with, something no one would be able to deny.

The truth may not be drowned by no flood of false indictments. I do not have any intention to get acquainted with contents of something that is completely fabricated and very distanced from the truth.

Regarding discourse I have heard here on the issue who was appropriate authority and whether some government should have done something before some other government, I am amazed that even the lawyer from Belgrade, member of amici curiae, speaks on issues of authority, forgetting that no government could not have authority to enter into any deal that would violate Constitution of Serbia and Constitution of Yugoslavia.

I am glad that gentlemen from the amici curiae are conscientious that they may not speak on my behalf and that I do not have anything to do with them.

Reuters photo: Former president of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic appears for the court of the International Crime Tribunal in The Hague, October 30, 2001