arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)
|
Invited Lawyers Await 'Permission' to See Milosevic by Jared Israel [7 July 2001] Sunday July 08, 2001 at 12:51 PM |
| emperors1000@aol.com |
I caught up with the lawyers Chris Black and Andre Tremblay yesterday by phone. President Slobodan Milosevic had requested to see them so they flew to the Netherlands on Thursday and are now waiting for officials at the 'War Crimes Tribunal' to approve their visit. They should have an answer Monday at noon, Dutch time.
The trip has received much coverage, some accurate, some not. Mr. Black said the 'Toronto Star' had entirely misquoted him, misrepresenting the reason for his trip to The Hague, making it sound as if he wanted to pressure President Milosevic. Said ChrisBlack:
"The Committee to Defend Milosevic and its lawyers have nothing but admiration for what Mr. Milsoevic did during his confrontation with the Tribunal and we are going to the Hague to help him any way he sees fit."
The BBC (pleasant surprise!) got the story right:
"Two Canadian lawyers are travelling to the International War Crimes Tribunal at The Hague at the request of the former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.
"The lawyers are part of an international support committee that considers Mr Milosevic a political prisoner.
"Formed in Berlin in March, the International Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic is made up of 200 lawyers, writers and intellectuals.
"One of the lawyers, Christopher Black, said he was going there on behalf of the group to see the conditions of Mr Milosevic's detention and discuss any legal matters he wished to raise.
"At his first appearance at the tribunal earlier this week, the former Yugoslav leader declined to ask for defence lawyers and refused to enter a plea on war crimes charges....
"Mr Black, accompanied by his colleague Andre Tremblay, refused to speculate about whether they would eventually represent Mr Milosevic." (BBC News, July 6, 2001)
Things are not always handled so objectively. Here's a report I wrote about an interview the BBC had with Chris Black on July 3rd.
Further Reading: