Three-month ruling angers Milosevic

Milosevic has been on trial since February 2002

Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has been given three months to prepare his defence against war crimes charges.

Mr Milosevic, 62, had asked for a two-year period and reacted angrily against the ruling by the Hague war crimes tribunal.

But Richard May, the presiding judge in the case, said his decision was not a matter for debate or an invitation to argument.

I categorically protest against this ruling of yours Slobodan Milosevic

Prosecutors are expected this year to end their case against Mr Milosevic who faces more than 60 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Croatia, Bosnia and Kosovo during the 1990s.

The trial, which started in February 2002, has been beset with delays as a result of Mr Milosevic's bouts of high blood pressure, fatigue and flu.

Witness contact

The ruling means that the accused will have three months' break between the close of the prosecution case and the opening of the defence case. He will have the same amount of time to present his case as the prosecution.

The former Yugoslav president insists he does not recognise the United Nations' court and has vowed to defend himself, despite entreaties from judges to appoint counsel.

The judges said they wanted to balance his need for sufficient time to prepare with the need for an expeditious trial. They took account of the fact that he was assisted by legal advisers and ruled he should have access to facilities and witnesses.

The court told Mr Milosevic he would be granted office space in the court and guaranteed confidential contact with his witnesses.

He has vowed to summon high-profile witnesses including French President Jacques Chirac and US former President Bill Clinton in his defence.

But it is up to judges to decide which witnesses are relevant to the case.