The Guardian is reporting that two weeks ago, Slobodan Milosevic’s blood showed traces of rifampicin. This may have negated the effect of other medications that he was prescribed for a heart condition and high blood pressure. Apparently it’s a medication used to treat leprosy and tuberculosis.
Certainly it’s a provocative article although — as the Guardian usually is — fairly circumspect.
That’s pretty much the quick and dirty summary, without much else to add I’m afraid, but thought it might be of interest to some in the Pond.
Yeah, only mention I’ve heard of it was a reference to this same article.
A war criminal is poisoned and killed, and its covered up, and no one is really all that concerned.
Makes one think, don’t it?
You mean…you’re SURPRISED?
They cannot let these people testify.
Milosevic.
Hussein.
They know too much.
EIther they make a deal..an IRONCLAD deal with penalties in the extreme prejudice range …or they go down silent.
Bet on it.
AG
No, not at all surprised. Okay, a bit surprised that they went ahead with this plan (and the lousy cover story that “its impossible to get something into this prison.” as if he did it himself or it wasn’t officially arranged), and a bit surprised that that embarrasing “they’re poisoning me” note got out with his lawyer the day before he got the fatal effects.
I keep waiting to hear Saddam ask the difference between what he did to the little village he’s being tried for, and what Bush did to Fallujah, tho.
But in the end, shouldn’t all war criminals end up this way?
Well, yeah, I suppose, only…
Only..what if the only people with the might to try them are OTHER war criminals?
UH oh…
Catch 22 in action.
AG
Sure.
But then Milosevic didn’t die because of a trial, either.
What the world needs is a faster Karma wheel.
Maybe…nuclear powered?
Let us pray.
Not.
AG
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THE HAGUE, Netherlands (ABC/AP) 1 hour ago — A Dutch toxicologist said he found traces of an unprescribed antibiotic in Slobodan Milosevic’s system earlier this year after the former Yugoslav leader did not respond to blood pressure medication given at the U.N. detention center.
Donald Uges said he found traces of rifampicin, an antituberculosis drug that “makes the liver extremely active” and thus breaks down other medications very quickly, possibly taking away their effectiveness.
Milosevic, 64, had a history of heart problems and high blood pressure, and took medications to treat those conditions. He was found dead in his jail cell Saturday morning of an apparent heart attack.
≈ Cross-posted from — Monday News Bucket ≈
“But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.”
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Is anyone gonna ask two pertinent ??
Milosevic is behind bars. So, how did he get unprescribed antibotics?
It’s not as if a helpful guard or just any someone can buy it OTC -over the counter.
Will there be an investigation?
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THE HAGUE (AP) 10 minutes ago — In February 2004, Milosevic moved into a small office separate from his standard cell equipped with phones, computers and filing cabinets. It was there that he interviewed witnesses, consulted legal aides and prepared his defense. His main advisers were three Belgrade associates whom he met regularly. He also could interview witnesses at a second office at the U.N. court.
Milosevic held confidential meetings with most of the 50 witnesses he called in his defense, as well as his wife and grandson, and former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark.
The car carrying the body of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic leaves the Dutch Forensic Institue in Rijswijk, near The Hague, Netherlands, for the morgue at Schiphol Airport. Milosevic's son arrived in the Netherlands to take possession of the ex-Yugoslav leader's remains. It was still not clear whether Milosevic's remains would be flown to Belgrade, where the family has requested to bury him or to Russia, where his wife, Mirjana Markovic, and son, Marko, live. AP Photo/Bas CzerwinskiThe U.N. detention unit was a wing of a Dutch prison complex in the seaside resort of Scheveningen, a few miles from where the trial was held.
From the facility, Milosevic was able to review 1.3 million pages of testimony and documentation and more than 1,000 videos and DVDs that had been gathered for the prosecution case.
In an order, the trial judges insisted the office remain in “a privileged setting.” The room required two keys to gain access, one held by Milosevic and the other by prison officials.
“But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.”
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Oui, thanks for that reply. I’ll point out hint, hint, given the charges the UN Tribunal should bear some responsibility, seeing that’s an AP story, say no more. Also, it’s not prudent for me to comment in open forum.
Considering, but it’s more than meets the eye, especially since that the other prisoner, whose name escapes at the mo, he committed suicide just weeks ago?
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THE HAGUE March 6 — Milan Babic, who had testified in former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic’s case in 2002, was found dead in his cell in the UN Detention Unit in Scheveningen, the Netherlands, where he was preparing to testify in the trial of another Serb leader, Milan Martic, a UN spokesperson said today.
Martic (right) became Krajina president in 1994“But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.”
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THE HAGUE (ABC/AP) March 12 — Outside the tribunal on Sunday, Milosevic’s legal adviser showed reporters a six-page letter he said the former leader wrote on March 10th, claiming that traces of a “heavy drug” was found in his bloodstream, and he feared being poisoned.
The letter alleged that a drug used to treat leprosy or tuberculosis was found in his blood by Dutch toxicologist Ronald Uges during a Jan. 12 medical exam. “They would like to poison me,” lawyer Zdenko Tomanovic quoted Milosevic as telling him.
Tomanovic also complained that the court rejected the Milosevic family’s request that an autopsy be conducted outside the Netherlands.
Milosevic’s older brother, Borislav, said the family did not trust the tribunal to carry out an impartial autopsy. He also blamed the tribunal for his brother’s death because it rejected his request to get medical treatment in Russia, which offered assurances that Milosevic would be returned to finish his trial.
The letter, dated March 10, was addressed to the Russian Embassy. A one-line English language cover note asked the embassy to forward the letter to the Russian foreign minister.
“But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.”
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THE HAGUE (CNN) March 13 — Trial transcripts from August 2004 reveal that doctors had found traces of benzodiazepines, used to counter stress, in his bloodstream “which is odd given the patient’s refusals to take benzodiazepines from the United Nations’ unit staff,” according to a report from a Dr. Dijkman.
Dijkman also suggested “that the accused must have obtained and be taking drugs other than those prescribed in some other way,” the transcript said.
Dr. Tavernier’s report of the 27th of August, commenting on Dr. Dijkman’s report, said at page 2, paragraph 1, subconclusion 2, there is significant doubt about the therapy compliance of the accused, and at the end of that paragraph, dealing with the drug taken that was not being prescribed, said: “Since this drug is not on his medication list in his medical file, this means that Mr. Milosevic must obtain this drug in another way. This illustrates the unwillingness of Mr. Milosevic to adhere to a therapeutic plan because administration of this kind of drug in a controlled was already suggested but refused.”
“The measurements taken by a colleague,” he names the colleague,” proves the opposite thus indicating that Mr. Milosevic is providing us with incorrect information about his medication intake, which leads me to doubt also his statements that he is taking the anti-hypertensive medication correctly.”
“But I will not let myself be reduced to silence.”
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