In quotes: Milosevic death
Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has died in the detention centre at The Hague tribunal.
[BBC]
HAJRA CATIC, ASSOCIATION OF SREBRENICA MOTHERS
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.
BORISLAV MILOSEVIC, BROTHER OF SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC'
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia bears full responsibility for this.
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.
NICO VARKEVISSER, SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC FREEDOM CENTRE
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 interview
FATMIR SEJDIU, KOSOVO PRESIDENT
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...
IVICA DACIC, SOCIALIST PARTY OF SERBIA
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.
VUK DRASKOVIC, SERBIA-MONTENEGRO FOREIGN MINISTER
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.
LUFI HAZIRI, KOSOVO DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER
Unfortunately, he did not face justice for crimes he has committed in Kosovo as well.
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CARLA DEL PONTE, CHIEF PROSECUTOR AT THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL TRIBUNAL FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA (ICTY)
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 interview
LORD PADDY ASHDOWN, EX-HIGH REPRESENTATIVE TO BOSNIA
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 interview
LORD DAVID OWEN, FORMER EU NEGOTIATOR FOR YUGOSLAVIA
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 Owen interview
JACK STRAW, UK FOREIGN SECRETARY
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 interview
Milosevic a bad influence - Straw
JAVIER SOLANA, EU FOREIGN POLICY CHIEF
I hope very much this event, the death of Milosevic will help Serbia to look definitely to the future.
PHILIPPE DOUSTE-BLAZY, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER
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.
RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY STATEMENT
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.
STEVEN KAY, MILOSEVIC'S COURT-APPOINTED LAWYER
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 interview
URSULA PLASSNIK, AUSTRIAN PRESIDENCY OF EU
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.
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RICHARD HOLBROOKE, FORMER US NEGOTIATOR FOR THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA
He did face justice in a rough sort of way. Of course, the trial didn't end, it went on much too long.
But here's a man who once ruled Yugoslavia, started four wars, lost them all, saw the territory he controlled dwindle, got thrown out of power by a popular uprising in 2000, was packed off in a helicopter to The Hague in 2001 and spent the rest of his life in a padded cell in a jail and never was going to see daylight again.
So, I'm not concerned about his fate, I consider the justice in this fate self-evident.
JAAP DE HOOP SCHEFFER, NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL
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.
NICHOLAS WHYTE, INTERNATIONAL CRISIS GROUP
This is the end of a long and very sad chapter in European history.
His death is in nobody's interests except, perhaps, in a weird kind of way, his own.