Reuters Agency : reuter 99 Feb 02 Tue 08h

Euro-delegation demands Milosevic indictment

THE HAGUE, Feb 1 (Reuters) - A European parliamentary delegation on Monday handed a 100,000-signature petition demanding the indictment of Yugoslav President Slobadan Milosevic to United Nations war crimes prosecutors in the Hague.

Among the signatories were 120 members of the European Parliament, Albanian Prime Minister Pandeli Majko and two former Belgian prime ministers, Leo Tindemans and Wilfried Martens, a spokeswoman for the petition's organisers told Reuters.

The petition was initiated by the Transnational Radical Party (TRP), a cross-party pacifist grouping with about 20 members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia said it welcomed the delegation's recognition that the U.N. court could render justice. But, in accepting the petition, Deputy Prosecutor Graham Blewett suggested the MEPs would be better advised to press for compliance from the relevant countries.

"I think that it is appropriate for me to say to the representatives of the European Parliament who are presenting this petition today, that you can assist the Tribunal more by being very active in urging those states which hold relevant evidence to cooperate fully with the Prosecutor's Office," Blewett said.

Adding that his remarks should not be construed as a comment on any investigations whatsoever, Blewett said indictments could only be issued on the basis of sufficient admissible evidence.

"Media reports, petitions and speculation do not amount to such evidence," he said.

REUTERS 1616 010299 GMT