The son of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic says authorities in Belgrade will not allow his family to bury the late Serbian leader in his homeland. Marko Milosevic flew from Moscow to The Hague Tuesday to retrieve his father's body.
Before leaving Moscow, he said that Belgrade authorities want to avoid having his father's funeral there and have threatened his family.
He also said that Moscow's mayor has agreed to hold the funeral in the Russian capital. A Serbian court is expected to decide today whether to suspend an arrest warrant for Mira Markovic, widow of Slobodan Milosevic.
She is wanted in Serbia, accused of abuse of power. Earlier, Serbian President Boris Tadic told British television that it is up to the Milosevic family to decide where to hold his funeral.
Mr. Tadic has ruled out a state funeral and said he opposes canceling Markovic's arrest order. Milosevic was found dead in his jail cell in The Hague Saturday. He had been on trial charged with genocide and crimes against humanity stemming from the Balkans war in the 1990s.
The UN war crimes court officially closed his trial today. Presiding Judge Patrick Robinson noted that while he regrets Milosevic's death, he believes it has deprived all parties of a judgment in the proceedings.
A preliminary autopsy report says Milosevic died of a heart attack. But a Dutch toxicologist says Milosevic had taken a powerful antibiotic that is used to treat diseases he did not have.
The doctor speculates Milosevic may have been trying to make himself sick to get to Moscow for medical treatment.
