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Initial Reports Indicate Milosevic Extradition Underway
Aired June 28, 2001 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LOU WATERS, CNN ANCHOR: But we're focusing first of all very intensely on reports that former Yugoslavian leader Slobodan Milosevic may be on his way to the Hague to stand trial for crimes against humanity and war crimes. We have Alessio Vinci watching closely from Belgrade.
Alessio, what are you hearing?
ALESSIO VINCI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Lou, I must stress this is a big may. We have heard that this report only from one radio station here in Belgrade, B92, who is quoting one source within the democratic opposition of Serbia who is telling the B92 radio station that the former Yugoslav president, Slobodan Milosevic, he is already underway to face war crimes charges to the U.N. war crimes tribunal in the Hague. Again, this is just coming from one source in a radio station here in Belgrade, B92.
We have not been able to independently confirm this information. The Serbian government has just ended within the last hour or so an emergency session following a ruling by the Yugoslav constitutional court, a decree that was adopted by the federal government over the weekend that paved the way for the extradition of Yugoslav citizens. The constitutional court has temporarily suspended that decree pending its later ruling to figure out, to find out if this decree is, indeed, constitutional or not.
Again, we've heard from one radio station here in Belgrade, B92, quoting one source within the Yugoslav government saying that Mr. Milosevic, the former Yugoslav president, is already underway to the Hague tribunal -- Lou?
WATERS: The last thing we heard, also what you have just reported, Alessio, is this constitutional court delay reviewing this decision on whether or not it was possible to send Milosevic to the Hague. Is it credible to you that in absence of that decision there is a report that he may be on his way to the Hague?
VINCI: Well, first of all, Lou, the constitutional court did not rule that the decree is unconstitutional. They just said that they would like to suspend temporarily the decree pending the decision on whether the decree is constitutional or not. So the constitutional court has not pronounced itself yet on whether the decree that was issued by the federal government was, indeed, constitutional or not. However, we understand also from the legislation here that pending this constitutional ruling, the -- any kind of procedure that is, you know, that is spoke about or talked about in this decree should be suspended, should be put on hold. However, yesterday the Serbian prime minister, Zoran Djindjic, said that despite, regardless of whatever the ruling was, he was going to say that Mr. Milosevic should have been handed over to the war crimes tribunal, that Yugoslavia does not need the law because Yugoslavia is a member of the international community, the United Nations is a member, is a member of the United Nations. The international war crimes tribunal belongs to the United Nations and therefore Yugoslavia does not need a law in order to extradite Mr. Milosevic.
WATERS: Have you or any of your colleagues seen Milosevic today?
VINCI: No, we have not, and we haven't seen him for several months, for that matter, Lou. We have a crew staking out the prison for quite some time now and we have not seen any unusual movement at the prison within the last few hours. We are not aware, however, if there is any kind of tunnel or any kind of way for Mr. Milosevic to leave the prison without being noticed.
WATERS: All right, Alessio Vinci, keeping watch in Belgrade. We have Christiane Amanpour at the Hague and if anything develops on this story we'll certainly pass it along to you immediately.
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