Former Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic found dead in his cell
{{date|March 11, 2006}}
{{missing image|Image:Milosevic-1.jpg|right|200px|thumb|"Milošević was found lifeless on his bed in his cell at the United Nations detention unit"}}
Former Yugoslavian president [[w:Slobodan Milošević|Slobodan Milošević]], 64, has died in the [[w:International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia|U.N. war crimes tribunal]] detention center in [[w:Hague|The Hague]], [[w:Netherlands|Netherlands]]. The [[w:Socialist Party of Serbia|Serbian Socialist party]] and UN officials confirmed his death, and Tribunal President [[w:Fausto Pocar|Fausto Pocar]] has ordered an inquiry, which will be done by the Dutch police and the Dutch coroner. A [[w:Toxicology|toxicological]] examination and a full [[w:Autopsy|autopsy]] have also been ordered on Milošević. 

A statement said that Milošević "was found lifeless on his bed in his cell at the United Nations detention unit. The guard immediately alerted the detention unit officer in command and the medical officer. The latter confirmed that Slobodan Milošević was dead." 

French Foreign Minister [[w:Philippe Douste-Blazy|Philippe Douste-Blazy]] said that Milošević died of natural causes. He had been suffering from chronic heart problems and [[w:Hypertension|high blood pressure]].

March 3 blood samples from Mr. Milošević showed traces of [[w:Rifampicin|rifampicin]], an antibiotic used to treat serious bacterial infections like [[w:Tuberculosis|tuberculosis]] and [[w:Leprosy|leprosy]]. 

Zdenko Tomanović, his defence lawyer, quoted Mr. Milošević as saying, "I have never taken any antibiotic in five years." Mr. Milošević claimed the day before he died that people with an interest in silencing him were trying to poison him.

An adviser to the chief prosecutor reported "He has a proven track record of taking unprescribed medicine, of messing with his medication," and suggested the complete cause of death may never be known.

The trial against Milošević had been delayed 20 times due to health problems. In 2002 judges ordered a psychiatric review to determine the strain the trial was putting on him. In late February the Tribunal denied his petition for a transfer to a hospital in Russia.

Milošević was on trial and charged with more than 60 counts of [[w:genocide|genocide]] and [[w:Crime against humanity|crimes against humanity]] for the role he played in the Balkan wars, which includes the massacre of 8,000 Muslims at [[w:Srebrenica massacre|Srebrenica]] in 1995 and emanating from the Bosnian conflict. 

He was extradited to The Hague in 2001, and his trial began in 2002. He refused to be given a lawyer and was defending himself in court, pleading not guilty to all charges against him. He faced life in prison.

Milošević served as president of the [[w:Serbia|Republic of Serbia]] from 1989 to 1997, and the president of [[w:Serbia and Montenegro|Federal Republic of Yugoslavia]] from 1997 to 2000. 

==Sources==
* {{source|author=[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/s/marlise_simons/index.html?inline=nyt-per Marlise Simons]
|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/12/international/europe/12cnd-milosevic.html
|title=Autopsy Shows Milosevic Died of Heart Attack, Tribunal Says
|pub=New York Times
|date=March 12, 2006}}

* {{source|author=
|url=http://mosnews.com/news/2006/02/22/milosevicisill.shtml
|title=Milosevic Asks Court to Send Him to Russia for Treatment
|pub=MosNews
|date=22.02.2006 13:39 MSK (GMT +3), Updated: 13:43 MSK}}

*{{source
|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=a_KRi631teOs&refer=europe
|title=Slobodan Milosevic, Serbia's Former Leader, Dies in Prison Cell
|author=
|pub=Bloomberg
|date=March 11, 2006}}

*{{source
|url=http://www.itn.co.uk/news/world_1317217.html
|title=Slobodan Milosevic dies
|author=
|pub=ITN
|date=March 11, 2006}}

*{{source
|url=http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1713146
|title=Slobodan Milosevic Found Dead in His Cell
|author=
|pub=ABC News
|date=March 11, 2006}}

*{{source
|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/03/11/milosovic/|title= Milosevic dies in prison cell
|author=
|pub=CNN
|date=March 11, 2006}}

*{{source
|url=http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?catid=125&ch=0&newsid=84268
|title= Slobodan Milosevic Dies in the Hague Prison
|author=
|pub=Focus News
|date=March 11, 2006}}

*{{source
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4796470.stm|title=Milosevic 'found dead in prison'
|author=
|pub=BBC News
|date=March 11, 2006}}

{{publish}}
{{Archive-unreviewed}}

[[Category:World]]
[[Category:Obituaries]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:Serbia and Montenegro]]
[[Category:Netherlands]]
[[Category:Human rights]]
[[Category:Philippe Douste-Blazy]]
[[Category:Health]]
[[Category:The Hague]]
[[Category:Yugoslavia]]
[[Category:Bosnian War]]
[[Category:Bosnia and Herzegovina]]

[[de:Slobodan Milošević ist tot]]
[[es:Muere el ex presidente yugoslavo Slobodan Milošević]]
[[fr:L'ex-président Slobodan Milosevic est mort dans sa cellule]]
[[no:Milošević funnet død på cellen]]
[[pl:Slobodan Milošević nie żyje]]
[[ru:Милошевич мёртв]]
[[sr:Умро Слободан Милошевић]]
[[sv:Milosevic hittad död i fängelset i Haag]]
Former Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milošević, 64, has died in the U.N. war crimes tribunal detention center in The Hague, Netherlands. The Serbian Socialist party and UN officials confirmed his death, and Tribunal President Fausto Pocar has ordered an inquiry, which will be done by the Dutch police and the Dutch coroner. A toxicological examination and a full autopsy have also been ordered on Milošević. 

A statement said that Milošević "was found lifeless on his bed in his cell at the United Nations detention unit. The guard immediately alerted the detention unit officer in command and the medical officer. The latter confirmed that Slobodan Milošević was dead." 

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said that Milošević died of natural causes. He had been suffering from chronic heart problems and high blood pressure.

March 3 blood samples from Mr. Milošević showed traces of rifampicin, an antibiotic used to treat serious bacterial infections like tuberculosis and leprosy. 

Zdenko Tomanović, his defence lawyer, quoted Mr. Milošević as saying, "I have never taken any antibiotic in five years." Mr. Milošević claimed the day before he died that people with an interest in silencing him were trying to poison him.

An adviser to the chief prosecutor reported "He has a proven track record of taking unprescribed medicine, of messing with his medication," and suggested the complete cause of death may never be known.

The trial against Milošević had been delayed 20 times due to health problems. In 2002 judges ordered a psychiatric review to determine the strain the trial was putting on him. In late February the Tribunal denied his petition for a transfer to a hospital in Russia.

Milošević was on trial and charged with more than 60 counts of genocide and crimes against humanity for the role he played in the Balkan wars, which includes the massacre of 8,000 Muslims at Srebrenica in 1995 and emanating from the Bosnian conflict. 

He was extradited to The Hague in 2001, and his trial began in 2002. He refused to be given a lawyer and was defending himself in court, pleading not guilty to all charges against him. He faced life in prison.

Milošević served as president of the Republic of Serbia from 1989 to 1997, and the president of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 to 2000. 

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World Obituaries Europe Serbia and Montenegro Netherlands Human rights Philippe Douste-Blazy Health The Hague Yugoslavia Bosnian War Bosnia and Herzegovina