Tribunal Removes Miloševic's Contact Restrictions

UN War Crimes Tribunal Removes Restrictions On Miloševic's Contacts

The United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia announced today that it has eased the communications limitations imposed on former Yugoslav President Slobodan Miloševic.

David Tolbert, the deputy registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), said that the lifting follows Mr. Miloševic's compliance with previous restrictions issued by the court.

Mr. Miloševic can now contact by telephone or receive visits from anyone except the media, a spokeswoman for the ICTY said today. Previously he had been restricted to legal counsel, diplomatic or consular representatives and immediate family members only.

Mr. Tolbert said that if Mr. Miloševic tries to communicate directly or indirectly with the media, or takes any actions that were "likely to frustrate" the mandate of the ICTY, or violate its detention rules, then the communications restrictions will be reinstated.

Mr. Miloševic is on trial facing charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes for his role in the wars that engulfed Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo during the 1990s.

In a separate development, the Tribunal announced today that the United Kingdom has become the 10th Member State of the UN - but the first common law country - to sign an agreement on the enforcement of ICTY sentences.

The agreement, which will enter into force in 30 days, means the UK joins Italy, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Austria, France, Spain, Denmark and Germany as countries which may house people who have been convicted of crimes and sentenced to jail terms by the UN court.

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