Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, widely reviled for his role in stoking a decade of war across the Balkans, was handed over to the UN war crimes tribunal Thursday to face charges of crimes against humanity.
Reformist authorities in Serbia extradited Milosevic, 59, in defiance of a Constitutional Court ruling earlier in the day and despite warnings from his supporters that they would withdraw from the federal government`s ruling coalition if he were transferred. The handover apparently occurred without the knowledge of federal President Vojislav Kostunica, who learned of the action from the media, sources in his office said. Kostunica had preferred a domestic trial and insisted any extradition be done with extreme legal care. It was not clear how he would react.
The transfer cleared the way for Yugoslavia to receive around $1.3 billion in funds to restore an economy devastated by NATO bombing and sanctions imposed to punish Milosevic`s policies.
President Bush led a chorus of Western approval for the move, applauding it as an important step that would send "an unequivocal message to those persons who brought such tragedy and brutality to the Balkans that they will be held accountable for their crimes." French President Jacques Chirac said Milosevic would "finally be held accountable for his acts," while German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said he was "extraordinarily delighted" and British Prime Minister Tony Blair called the transfer "good news." Bureau Report