Milosevic indicted over political violence

By Matthew Price BBC correspondent in Belgrade

Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has been indicted in Serbia with ordering the murder and attempted murder of two key political opponents.

Milosevic has been on trial in The Hague since February 2002

The charges were announced by a special prosecutor for the government in Belgrade and follow a lengthy investigation into the crimes, which took place in 2000.

Mr Milosevic, who is already on trial before the war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague, has denied the charges.

Ivan Stambolic was abducted in August 2000 while jogging in a park in Belgrade.

Mr Stambolic was a former president of Serbia and a political mentor to Slobodan Milosevic.

His body remained undiscovered, buried in woodland in northern Serbia until earlier this year.

There had long been allegations that Mr Milosevic had been involved in the crime.

Now, a special prosecutor has accused the former Yugoslav president with ordering the murder of Mr Stambolic.

He is also - along with several of his top allies - charged with ordering the attempted murder of opposition leader Vuk Draskovic.

New evidence into both cases has come to light during the investigation into the assassination in March of the Serbian Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic.