Milosevic was arrested by the Yugoslav government in April 2001 after being ousted from power by popular demonstrations in October 2000.
He was then extradited to The Hague, Netherlands, to be tried by the ICTY, which had issued his arrest warrant since 1999.
Milosevic’s trial began on February 12, 2002, with Milosevic as the sole defendant. The trial was divided into three parts, corresponding to the three conflict areas involving Milosevic: Kosovo, Croatia, and Bosnia.
The trial was attended by hundreds of witnesses, including victims, perpetrators, officials, experts, and journalists, providing testimony on the events that occurred in Yugoslavia.
Milosevic refused to recognize the court’s authority and chose to represent himself. He considered the trial a political charade aimed at discrediting him and the Serbian nation.
He also accused the court of being a Western tool to intervene in Yugoslavia’s domestic affairs and overlook human rights violations committed by other parties, such as NATO, Croatia, Bosnia, or Kosovo.
Milosevic used the trial as a platform to convey his views on the history, politics, and culture of Yugoslavia and to defend his actions as the country’s
leader.
He also challenged the testimony of witnesses, evidence, and experts presented by the prosecution by asking lengthy, complicated, and provocative questions.
He often delayed proceedings, raised objections, and requested adjournments for various reasons, including his poor health condition.
The prosecutors faced difficulties in proving the accusations against Milosevic due to a lack of direct evidence linking him to the crimes committed in the field.
They also had to deal with legal, political, and logistical challenges, such as difficulties in obtaining willing witnesses, securing evidence scattered across various countries, and facing pressure from the international community to conclude the trial as soon as possible.
Milosevic’s trial lasted for four years, becoming one of the longest and most complex trials in the history of international law.
However, the trial never reached its conclusion as Milosevic passed away due to a heart attack in his prison cell on March 11, 2006, before the court’s verdict was announced.
Milosevic’s death sparked various speculations, controversies, and disappointments, both among his supporters and opponents.
Some regarded Milosevic’s death as justice, while others saw it as a tragedy.
