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Slobodan Milosevic Dies in Prison in the Hague

DW staff / AFP (jam)March 11, 2006

Former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic has died in the UN war crimes tribunal's detention center in the Hague. The tribunal says the cause of death is being investigated.

https://p.dw.com/p/86PQ
Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic was on trial for war crimes in The HagueImage: AP

Milosevic, 64, was found dead Saturday in his cell near The
Hague, where he was standing trial before the UN war crimes court.

The tribunal has also confirmed the former president's death, saying it will investigate the causes.

Milosevic had suffered from heart problems and his four-year trial was many times interrupted due to his poor health. He had been on trial before the UN war crimes court since February 2002.

State-controlled Radio-television of Serbia reported that Milosevic had died as his health "suddenly deteriorated."

Help Serbia look to future

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Saturday he hoped the death of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic will help Serbia look more to the future.

"I hope very much this event, the death of Milosevic will help
Serbia to look definitely to the future," said Solana, speaking at a meeting of EU and Balkan foreign ministers in Salzburg, Austria.

A short time earlier Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, said that
Milosevic's death was sad in human terms but did not change his legacy in the Balkans.

Milosevic was standing trial at the Hague-based UN war crimes court on more than 60 counts including genocide and crimes against humanity for his role in the Balkan wars, including the 1995 massacre of 8,000 Muslims at Srebrenica.

More details to follow.