Milosevic facing genocide charges

Milosevic remained defiant as he faced the U.N. court for a second time.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (CNN) -- Charges of genocide in Bosnia and Croatia are to be filed against the former Yugoslav President, Slobodan Milosevic.

The chief prosecutor of the U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague told CNN she expected the cases of genocide to be combined with the indictment against Milosevic for crimes against humanity in Kosovo.

Carla Del Ponte said the most serious war crimes charge would be included in the indictment, which she said she would file on October 1 with the U.N. tribunal. She said his trial was not expected to begin until the autumn of 2002.

She was speaking after the U.N. war crimes tribunal ordered that a lawyer be appointed to assist Milosevic.

RESOURCES On the scene: Milosevic remains defiant

The 60-year-old ousted leader, who made his second appearance before the international war crimes tribunal on Thursday morning, had insisted he wanted to represent himself against charges of crimes against humanity in Kosovo.

However, Judge Richard May said the appointed lawyer, or "friend of the court," would not represent Milosevic, but would "assist the court" by ensuring that the defendant's interests were protected and that he gets a fair trial.

The tasks of the lawyer would be to help prepare pre-trial motions, to cross-examine witnesses during the trial and to make objections on his behalf, May said.

Milosevic, 60, remained defiant in the face of the charges against him during Thursday's routine pre-trial hearing between judges, lawyers and accused to review progress in the case.

The former Yugoslav leader asked if he could make a 40-minute presentation on the "illegality of the tribunal", but when this was denied, he said he would publish it, in writing, to the media and the court.

"I do not see why I have to defend myself in front of a false tribunal, and false indictments," he said to the three-judge panel, before complaining about the conditions of his detention.

He asked why he was "isolated" from his family and why his visits with relatives and lawyers advising him were monitored, claiming his "illegal imprisonment" was a "massive violation of my rights."

Slobodan Milosevic entering the court flanked by U.N. security guards.

"I'm discriminated against all the time," Milosevic told the court, adding that even a visit from his two-and-a-half-year-old grandson had been monitored.

Judge Richard May explained that the rules of the detention unit applied to all the detainees, "not just you." He also said it was not possible for Milosevic to have a private meeting with lawyers, as he had not nominated a defence counsel.

Milosevic also asked why he was being "isolated from the press," who were printing and broadcasting "pure lies" about him, but May said contact with the press was not allowed.

May then abruptly cut off Milosevic's microphone and adjourned the hearing until October 29, 2001, reminding him that the tribunal was not to be used for political arguments.

The tribunal later rejected Milosevic's complaints about his access to lawyers and to his family.

Tribunal spokesman Jim Landale told Reuters that Milosevic had seen at least six lawyers, adding: "He has had over 45 hours of visiting time with his wife and over 20 hours from other family members."

Richard Dicker, director of the international justice programme at Human Rights Watch, said Milosevic's showman style would not help him when the trial opens. "The ability to make this into a circus, to demean the process, by seeming to be obstructionist, will be harder to do in the face of the facts," Dicker told Reuters. "Ten thousand people were slaughtered in Kosovo in a few months."

Milosevic has refused to cooperate with the panel since he was extradited to The Hague on June 28, 2001. It followed his arrest in April by Serbian police on charges of corruption and abuse of power during his 13 years as Yugoslavia's president.

He faces three charges of crimes against humanity, including mass murder and deportation, and one of violations of the laws or customs of war during Serb "ethnic cleansing" against Kosovo Albanians in 1999.

In a letter to the court's registry dated August 24, Milosevic argued that he should be immediately released from prison, and claimed he was being held illegally.