Ailing former Yugoslav president Mr Slobodan Milosevic has strongly rejected a recommendation that he appoint a defence lawyer for his hearings at the UN war crimes tribunal.
Mr Milosevic, who is defending himself against more than 60 charges including crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes, has consistently refused the services of a lawyer.
Questioned by judges from the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia on how best to proceed with the trial, taking into account his poor health, Mr Milosevic declared the suggestion that a defence lawyer should be imposed was "absurd, illegal and ill-intentioned."
Mr Milosevic, who appeared before the tribunal on Monday for the first time in 10 days after complaining of extreme fatigue and exhaustion, said the best solution would be for him to be released "with enough time to study the 200,000 pages of evidence and thousands of cassettes."
He said he was perfectly within his rights to defend himself and if necessary would take his case to the European Court of Justice, if prevented from doing so.
"The prosecution is trying to prevent me from speaking and also trying to impose on me a puppet lawyer which they have no absolute right to do," he said.
His comments follow today's publication of a submission from the tribunal's chief prosecutor Ms Carla Del Ponte who called on the judges to urgently nominate a lawyer for the former Yugoslav president.
His trial has been interrupted four times since it began in February because of his failing health.
"Neither the international community nor the prosecution could accept the curtailment of this case in a situation where the accused, by declining to avail himself of the benefit of counsel in his case, has exacerbated his health problems," Ms Del Ponte said.
Following the last adjournment, the judges asked the prosecution and the amici curae- lawyers appointed to assist the court in the case - to submit proposals on how best to proceed with the trial, taking into account the defendant's health.
Ms Del Ponte recommended in her submission that two lawyers working for the court, Yugoslav Mr Branko Tapuskovic and Briton Mr Steven Kay, be assigned to work as Milosevic's defence lawyers.
Doctors, who carried out a full medical check-up on Mr Milosevic in July, said he had high blood pressure and risked having a heart attack.
The court tried to reduce Mr Milosevic's workload after the last health warning, but even with the time limits imposed on it the case will take years to complete.
The prosecution has until May 2003 to present its case. Mr Milosevic will have until at least mid-2004 to conduct his defence.
AFP