Milosevic trial judge rejects lawyers' request to leave
Judges at the UN tribunal for the former Yugoslavia today rejected a request by two British lawyers appointed to defend former President Slobodan Milosevic seeking to end their role in his war crimes trial.
Steven Kay and Gillian Higgins were appointed to defend Milosevic due to his failing health and the repeated delays in the proceedings.
Milosevic refused to co-operate with them and was granted permission to lead his own defence.
Milosevic, 63, faces 66 counts of war crimes and genocide for his alleged criminal role in three Balkan wars which brought the violent break-up of Yugoslavia.
Doctors had said the former Serbian leader was too ill to represent himself in court. Kay and Higgins will step in if Milosevic, who suffers serious heart disease, again becomes ill.
