Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has died in the detention centre at The Hague tribunal.
Click on the links below for reaction to the news.
BALKANS
The Hague tribunal has killed my husband
Mirjana Markovic, wife of Slobodan Milosevic
Three months ago he asked to go to Moscow for treatment. This whole circus of the court in The Hague is terrible. It's criminal.
One may say the tribunal killed my brother. Full responsibility for his death falls on this tribunal and on those who gave him away in Belgrade five years ago.
Slobodan is a true son of the Serbian people, a historic personality. He died undefeated.
Borislav Milosevic, brother of Slobodan Milosevic
It is a pity that we will not see him facing justice, that we
will not hear the verdict. However, it seems that God punished him already.
Hajra Catic, association of Srebrenica mothers
He [Milosevic] said: 'They would like to poison me. I'm seriously concerned and worried... I am writing you [Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov] and asking you for help in the protecting for the criminal activities being perpetrated in the institution operating under the sign of the United Nations organisation.'
In the letter he wrote about a medical report that he got that showed that there were strong drugs in his system only used for treating leprosy or tuberculosis.
Zdenko Tomanovic, Slobodan Milosevic's legal adviser
With his death, history will be deprived of the full truth.
Svetozar Marovic, Serbia-Montenegro President
It is clear that they have killed him.
This is an outrage. Milosevic was kidnapped from Belgrade and illegally extradited.
The real culprits, murderers and killers are in Brussels and in The Hague.
Nico Varkevisser, Slobodan Milosevic Freedom Centre
All his actions and the actions of his machinery were against Kosovars and against the human race.
Unfortunately the spirit of Milosevic's kind continues to exist in Serbia...
Fatmir Sejdiu, Kosovo President
A historic person has left the scene, a person who was disputed, criticised and praised.
Dragan Cavic, Bosnian Serb leader
He was systematically killed by all the years he spent in The Hague and this is a great loss for Serbia, the Serbian people and the Socialist Party of Serbia.
It is of major importance for the future of our country that through his defence and the fact he died without being convicted, Milosevic had managed to defend national and state interest.
Ivica Dacic, Socialits Party of Serbia
Milosevic organised many many assassinations of people of my party, of people of my family... He ordered a few times assassination attempts against my life.
What can I say? I can say it's a pity he didn't face justice in Belgrade.
Vuk Draskovic, Serbia-Montenegro Foreign Minister
It's a pity that Milosevic did not live through the trial
and get his deserved sentence.
Office of Stjepan Mesic, Croatian President
Because of the victims, truth and justice, it would have
been better if he lived to the end of the trial.
Sulejman Tihic, Bosnian Muslim leader
Now history will have to judge Milosevic.
Milan Kucan, former President of Slovenia
EUROPE
I was informed about the death of Milosevic half-an-hour after he was found dead in his cell.
I regret deeply what happened. First of all because after more than three years, we (were) reaching the end of the trial... It is regrettable for all witnesses, for all survivors, for all victims that (were) expecting justice.
Carla del Ponte, chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)
I suppose those of us who would have wished to see justice rather than death be delivered to Milosevic will regret the fact that the justice process is halted.
There is no doubt that of the evil that stalked the Balkans for the best part of a decade one way
or another, one of the primary authors was Slobodan Milosevic.
Lord Paddy Ashdown, former high representative to Bosnia
Milosevic's death is seriously damaging to The Hague tribunal.
Despite years of trials we will never have a verdict, and thereby a conclusion regarding important questions of guilt.
Carl Bildt, former UN envoy to the Balkans
I think that essentially he was power crazy. I don't think racism was anywhere near as strong for him as it was for some of the leading people like General Mladic, who I never had any doubt was racist in a lot of his attitudes.
But he was ruthless, there is no doubt in my judgement that he was responsible for the ethnic cleansing that was part of the break up of the former Yugoslavia in what became Croatia and Bosnia in 1991 and 1992. And again in Kosovo before the war there in 1999 and probably even genocide there.
Lord David Owen, former EU negotiator for Yugoslavia
What is important is that the region, the people of Serbia, now
draw a line across Milosevic's past and his life, which was a malign
influence on the people of Serbia and the whole region
Jack Straw, UK Foreign Secretary
I hope very much this event, the death of Milosevic will help
Serbia to look definitely to the future.
Javier Solana, EU foreign policy chief
Milosevic was an outstanding politician who gave his all to serving his fatherland.
Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus
With the death of Milosevic, one of the main actors if not the main actor in the Balkan wars of the late 20th century has left the scene.
I would like to spare a thought for all those who suffered so much from ethnic cleansing, tens of thousands of men, women and children, which Milosevic conceived and planned.
Philippe Douste-Blazy, French Foreign Minister
Slobodan Milosevic had asked to be treated in Russia because of
the deterioration of his state of health.
Russian doctors were prepared to give him the necessary aid... Unfortunately, in spite of our guarantees, the tribunal did not
agree to give Slobodan Milosevic the possibility of being treated in
Russia.
Russian foreign ministry statement
(Milosevic's passing) should not keep us from our efforts to provide peace and stability in the Balkans; on the contrary, it should renew them.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German Foreign Minister
He has a history of suicide in his family - both his parents - but as far as he was concerned, his attitude to me was quite the opposite from that. He was determined to keep
fighting his case.
Steven Kay, Milosevic's court-appointed lawyer
This does not change or alter in any way the need to come
to terms with the past, with the legacy of which Slobodan
Milosevic has been a part.
Ursula Plassnik, Austrian presidency of EU
The tribunal has nothing to be blamed for. The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia takes the utmost care of its indictees and of (Milosevic) in particular. We cannot be blamed for negligence.
Christian Chartier, ICTY spokesman
WORLD
I think today's story is that this man, this... monster, this war criminal who wrecked south-eastern Europe in the latter part of the 20th century, is gone.
But his mark is enduring, and it isn't very good.
Richard Holbrooke, former US negotiator for the former Yugoslavia
I have been informed about the death of Slobodan Milosevic. It is unfortunate and in many aspects unsatisfactory, given the countless victims of the Balkan wars, that justice now will not be able to run its course.
Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Nato Secretary General
Milosevic's rule has long ended, and the United States supports a future for the Serbian people of peace, prosperity and a greater integration with the Euro-Atlantic
community.
US state department
It's a pity the trial never came to its conclusion. This was a man who was an evil man, he was a wicked man. His death means that he doesn't complete the path of justice and, in that sense, it's unfortunate.
Alexander Downer, Australian Foreign Minister
Home
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~45~RS~)
BBC NEWS CHANNEL
News services
E-mail this to a friend
Printable version
Nico Varkevisser interview
Reports and reaction
