Slobodan Milošević
Yugoslav and Serbian politician (1941–2006) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Slobodan Milošević (Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic: Слободан Милошевић, pronounced [slobǒdan milǒːʃevitɕ] ⓘ; 20 August 1941 – 11 March 2006) was a Yugoslav and Serbian politician who was the President of Serbia between 1989–1997 and President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1997 until his оverthrow in 2000. Milošević played a major role in the Yugoslav Wars and became the first sitting head of state charged with war crimes.[1]
Slobodan Milošević | |
---|---|
Слободан Милошевић | |
President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | |
In office 23 July 1997 – 7 October 2000 | |
Prime Minister | |
Preceded by | Zoran Lilić |
Succeeded by | Vojislav Koštunica |
President of Serbia | |
In office 11 January 1991 – 23 July 1997 | |
Prime Minister | |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | Milan Milutinović |
President of the Presidency of the Socialist Republic of Serbia | |
In office 8 May 1989 – 11 January 1991 | |
Prime Minister | |
Preceded by | Ljubiša Igić (acting) |
Succeeded by | Office abolished |
President of the League of Communists of Serbia | |
In office 28 May 1986 – 24 May 1989 | |
Secretary | Zoran Sokolović |
Preceded by | Ivan Stambolić |
Succeeded by | Bogdan Trifunović |
Personal details | |
Born | (1941-08-20)20 August 1941 Požarevac, Serbia |
Died | 11 March 2006(2006-03-11) (aged 64) The Hague, Netherlands |
Cause of death | Heart attack |
Resting place | Požarevac, Serbia |
Nationality | Yugoslav (until 2003) |
Political party | |
Spouse | |
Children | 2, including Marko |
Relatives |
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Alma mater | University of Belgrade |
Signature | |
Nickname | "Sloba" |
Milošević became "President of the Presidency" of SR Serbia (a constituent country of SFR Yugoslavia) on 8 May 1989. He was then elected President of Serbia (still part of SFR Yugoslavia) at the first Presidential election in December 1990. After SFR Yugoslavia collapsed in March 1992, he continued as President of the Republic of Serbia as a constituent of the newly formed FR Yugoslavia. | |
Born in Požarevac, he studied law at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Law and joined the League of Socialist Youth of Yugoslavia. During the 1960s, he was advisor to the mayor of Belgrade, and later appointed chairman of large companies as the protégé of Serbian leader Ivan Stambolić.[2][3][4] Milošević was a high-ranking member of the League of Communists of Serbia (SKS) during the 1980s and came to power in 1987 after he dismissed opponents, including Stambolić. He was elected president of the Socialist Republic of Serbia in 1989 and led the anti-bureaucratic revolution, reforming Serbia's constitution and transitioning the state into a multi-party system, reducing the power of autonomous provinces. He led the Socialist Party of Serbia from its foundation in 1990 until his death. Following the 1990 general elections, Milošević enacted dominant-party rule while his party retained control over economic resources of the state.[5][6][7] During his presidency, anti-government and anti-war protests took place, and hundreds of thousands deserted the Milošević-controlled Yugoslav People's Army, leading to mass emigration from Serbia.
During the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, Milošević was charged by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for war crimes connected to the Bosnian War, Croatian War of Independence and Kosovo War.[8] After resigning from the Yugoslav presidency in 2000 amidst demonstrations against the disputed presidential election, Milošević was arrested by Yugoslav federal authorities in March 2001 on suspicion of corruption, abuse of power, and embezzlement.[9][10] The initial investigation faltered, and he was extradited to the ICTY to stand trial for war crimes.[11] Milošević denounced the Tribunal as illegal and refused to appoint counsel,[12] conducting his own defence. He died of a heart attack in his cell in The Hague in 2006 before the trial could conclude.[13][14] The Tribunal denied responsibility for his death stating he had refused to take prescribed medicines for his cardiac ailments and medicated himself instead. After his death, the ICTY and International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals found he was a part of a joint criminal enterprise that used violence such as ethnic cleansing to remove Croats, Bosniaks and Albanians from parts of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) concluded separately there was no evidence linking him to genocide committed by Bosnian Serb forces during the Bosnian War, but found Milošević had violated the Genocide Convention by failing to prevent genocide from occurring and holding those involved accountable.[15][16]
Observers have described Milošević's political behavior as populist, eclectic, and opportunist.[17] Milošević's rule has been described as authoritarian or autocratic, as well as kleptocratic, with accusations of electoral fraud, assassinations, suppression of press freedom and police brutality.[18][19][20][21]