Who are these people?

Patrick Robinson (the Jamaican Judge wanna-be) presiding the Milosevic’s tribunal seems like a story in itself but he unfortunately doesn’t merit much time. When you read a biography of any notable person, judge or no-judge, you want to see if they liked baseball or hockey when they were kids, did they have siblings or not, did they torture kittens or not? That’s what tells you what sort of person you’re dealing with. For some strange reason (probably a very good strange reason) those details are unavailable about any of the so called judges of that so called tribunal.

I remember not too long ago that Robinson warned Milosevic stating that his examination resembled a tea on a veranda – sorry that image does not work in Serbia – no tea, no verandas, perhaps a tea in England, perhaps a veranda in Jamica, perhaps ganja in Jamika, but not all three.

Another brilliant remark came as a comment on one of the witnesses (this time a Greek MP) “completely out of order” – which I thought he was stating to his own interpretation of the Law. This is the short scenario:

Liana Kaneli, 50, is a member of the International Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic and an independent MP allied with Greece’s Communist Party.

She is one of the few witnesses willing to testify on Milosevic’s behalf since the UN tribunal appointed him a British defence lawyer against his will last month.

Most of those who had been scheduled to appear during the defence phase of his 32 month old trial in The Hague have cancelled in an attempt to pressure the court to reverse its decision or to derail proceedings.

Kaneli said that if Milosevic had co-operated more with Western leaders “he wouldn’t be here with the losers, he would be with the winners, and nobody would ever make a political court like this".

Presiding Judge Patrick Robinson described her comment as being “completely out of order".

Trouble now is that the whole world has grown immune the antics of this kangaroo court and there is no way to recover any legitimacy. To the same extent fighting the existence of this very same court is equally futile because nobody will defend its existence – we all know it’s shutting down soon – so why make waves? Indeed it may cost Milosevic his life, but that is of no consequence to this panel of so called jurists.

Probably the best way to make an impact is to write to the honorable verandian Jamikan at: [robinson.icty-AT-un.org] so if he gets inundated with emails asking him to consult a law book from time to time – that may work a little better.

Sorry, for being this dis-agreeable but the injustices always rubbed me the wrong way from Dreyfuss affair in France, to Sacco and Vanzetti in the US to the Rosenbergs to the poor Lee Harvey Oswald. I just hate to see even a petty thief hung for the crime of others.

Than again I can’t be too angry at these pawns. What do they know? Nothing. Who pays their wages? Satan? Makes no difference. What will these corrupt pawns leave for posterity? Just much misery which is what they rightfully deserve themselves for being sold pawns.

Iliya Pavlovich PhD