NETHERLANDS: During his detention, Slobodan Milosevic managed to procure a drug that was not authorised by doctors overseeing his case, writes Chris Stephen
The discovery of a mystery substance in the blood of Slobodan Milosevic is not new - doctors first revealed it to his Hague judges in the summer of 2004.
Court documents show that judges ordered a series of tests by outside experts that summer to find out why pills Milosevic was supposed to take to lower his blood pressure seemed to have no effect.
The doctor's reports were startling.
Not only did they show he was not taking his pills, but a mystery drug was found to be present alongside them.
"The other drug . . . has been taken without prescription and without supervision by the detention unit staff," said a report by a Dr Dijkman on August 26th.
"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."
The doctor's opinion was 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."
Lead prosecutor Geoffrey Nice exploded at the news, telling the judges that he was sure who the culprit was - Milosevic himself.
"He has been obtaining for his own purposes other drugs, no doubt to help himself," he told judges.
"This material makes it overwhelmingly clear that the accused will do whatever is necessary to serve his own interests."
Milosevic's heart problems were the catch-22 of the trial: given rest, his blood pressure would mellow, but the stress of the trial would see it shooting up again, a problem that threatened to derail proceedings.
Prosecutors accused the former Yugoslav president of an array of delaying tactics, including overlong cross-examinations and speech-making, designed to wreck a trial process Milosevic refused to recognise as legitimate.
They also called on judges to impose a ban on cigarettes for Milosevic, but the judges refused, saying that this would infringe his rights.
After hearing the evidence of the blood tests and other material, judges ruled that a lawyer must be imposed on Milosevic.
But an appeal hearing later in 2004 reversed the ruling, saying the right to run his own defence was fundamental and Milosevic was still well enough to do it.
To ease the burden, this defence was on a three-day week, but was frequently less than this as Milosevic's sickness continued.
Even this limited stress regime was not, in the end, enough to keep him alive.