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UN tribunal reiterates call for immediate transfer of Milosevic to The Hague

UN tribunal reiterates call for immediate transfer of Milosevic to The Hague

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today repeated its call for the immediate transfer of Slobodan Milosevic to the court's facilities at The Hague.

Speaking to reporters at The Hague, the Advisor to the Prosecutor, Jean-Jacques Joris, said the transfer of the former Yugoslav President was required under international law, which should prevail over political statements.

The indictment against Mr. Milosevic charges him and four others with crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war during a "systematic attack directed against the Kosovo Albanian civilian population of Kosovo in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia."

Meanwhile, Tribunal spokesman Jim Landale told the press briefing that an extraordinary plenary session of the Tribunal judges would be held tomorrow to discuss modifications to the court's rules of procedure and evidence in light of a recent Security Council decision on the use of temporary or ad litem judges to ease the court's workload.

On 30 November, the Council established a new pool of 27 judges who will serve the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on an ad litem basis, meaning that they will be appointed to specific trials as and when needed.