Russian parliamentarians demand release of Slobodan Milosevic because of his impaired health

The commission on Yugoslavia of the State Duma (lower house of parliament) of Russia has demanded "an end to the judicial brutality against Slobodan Milosevic, his immediate release and urgent provision of effective medical treatment." This is said in a statement circulated in the State Duma on Thursday by the commission and signed by its chairman Nikolai Ryzhkov.

As is noted in the document, "Milosevic's condition began to deteriorate right after his arrest on March 31, 2001". "Even then many supposed it was the result of a purposeful effort against the health of the former head of the Yugoslav state," the statement says.

"The condition worsened after Milosevic was kidnapped in June 2001 by orders of the unlawful Hague Tribunal," the commission notes in its statement. In the view of deputies, the decision to extend court hearings "has inevitably led to a situation when Milosevic is deprived of proper rest". "He is banned from having fresh-air strolls while his attending doctor has until recently been denied access to him," the document says.

In the parliamentary commission's opinion, "this is in effect a form of torture aimed at breaking down the will of the leader of Yugoslavia's patriotic forces". As an inevitable result, he has been having over the past week a steadily high life-threatening arterial pressure.

"The Hague Tribunal is assuming responsibility by continuing to mock at the former head of the Yugoslav state," the statement stresses.