War Crimes Tribunal: Milosevic Died of Heart Attack

The United Nations War Crimes Tribunal says a preliminary autopsy report shows former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic died of a heart attack.

The tribunal says Milosevic's body will be turned over to his family Monday, when the official autopsy results are scheduled to be released. Chief war crimes prosecutor Carla del Ponte says stories that Milosevic was poisoned or committed suicide are just "rumors."

Milosevic's lawyer said the late president wrote a letter one day before he death claiming he was being poisoned by an antibiotic to treat leprosy -- a disease he did not have.

The 64-year-old Milosevic was found dead in his jail cell at The Hague Saturday. He was on trial for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the war in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

He fled Yugoslavia after losing the 2000 presidential election. Funeral plans unclear. Serbian President Boris Tadic has already ruled out a state funeral.

Milosevic's widow, Mira Markovic, is wanted in Serbia for abuse of power and would likely be arrested if she returned there.

Information for this report is provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.