Milosevic feared he was being poisoned -lawyer

BELGRADE, Mar 11 (Reuters) Former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic feared he was being poisoned in his detention cell in The Hague, his lawyer Zdenko Tomanovic said today hours after the tribunal announced Milosevic's death.

''Today, I have filed an official request to the tribunal to have the autopsy carried out in Moscow, having in mind his claims yesterday that he was being poisoned in the jail,'' Tomanovic told reporters in The Hague.

Acting on a request from Milosevic, Tomanovic said he had made a request for protection for his client to the Russian embassy in The Netherlands and to the Russian Foreign Ministry in Moscow.

''I demanded protection for Slobodan Milosevic over his claims that he was being poisoned. I still haven't received any reply and that's all I have to say at this time,'' the lawyer said.

Milosevic conducted his own defence at the war crimes trial.

Tomanovic acted as his legal representative in other matters as well as helping him prepare his defence.

Reuters KD VP0005