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Russia blames West for Milosevic's death

Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW: R ussia has held the West and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) responsible for the death of former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic.

Milosevic was found dead in his cell at a U.N. prison near The Hague on Saturday.

Russia's Foreign Ministry implicitly criticised the ICTY tribunal for refusing Milosevic's request to go to Moscow for medical treatment of his chronic heart ailments and high blood pressure.

"Unfortunately, despite our guarantees, the tribunal did not agree to provide Milosevic the possibility of treatment in Russia," the Ministry said.

Russia had issued official guarantees that Mr. Milosevic would return after treatment, but the court on Friday turned down the request.

"By refusing Mr. Milosevic permission to come for treatment to Russia the Hague court refused him the right to life," Deputy Speaker of the Russian Parliament Lyubov Sliska said.

"I think this is a political contract killing," said General Leonid Ivashov, former head of the Defence Ministry's International Cooperation Department.

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