Milosevic's wife gets visa to The Hague

Mrs Markovic is expected in The Hague within days

Mira Markovic, the wife of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, has been granted a visa to visit him at the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

I still find him cute and likeable. What can I say? He is my hero

Mira Markovic

"Today the Netherlands Government has decided to grant under strict conditions the visa for the spouse (Mira) Markovic and the daughter-in-law (Milica) Gajic... in order to visit him in the prison of Scheveningen," a Dutch Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Mrs Markovic is expected to arrive in The Hague in the next couple of days.

The visas were granted by special request of the war crimes tribunal.

Cleared of indictments

Members of the Milosevic family are subject to an EU-wide travel ban as part of remaining sanctions on the former Milosevic regime.

Slobodan Milosevic faces war crimes charges at the tribunal

The chief prosecutor at the tribunal, Carla Del Ponte, on Thursday cleared the way for the visa to be issued when she confirmed that Mrs Markovic had not been indicted for war crimes.

"I never say if anyone is or isn't on the list (of indicted war crimes suspects) for very understandable reasons," she said.

"But I will make an exception... because I don't want it to be an obstacle to her visiting," she added.

Mr Milosevic was extradited to The Hague on 28 June where he faces charges of crimes against humanity.

Shock

Mrs Markovic reportedly wants to rent an apartment in The Hague for the duration of her husband's trial, which is expected to last several years.

The couple were childhood sweethearts but Mrs Markovic has also been one of Mr Milosevic's most important political allies - often seen as the power behind the throne.

She was said to be devastated by his extradition.

"I cannot do anything on my own, without him. He has always been in my life and now I have to look after everything," she told the Croatian weekly, Globus.

"I still find him cute and likeable. What can I say? He is my hero."