Lawyers bid to free Milosevic

Milosevic is charged with four counts of war crimes, including crimes against humanity

THE HAGUE, The Netherlands (CNN) -- Lawyers for Slobodan Milosevic are set to mount a legal challenge next week against his detention in The Hague.

A hearing before a judge has been scheduled for next Thursday in a district court in The Hague, a justice ministry spokesman told Reuters.

The proceeding is to take place one week before Milosevic's second scheduled appearance before the U.N. International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

Milosevic's supporters are seeking to block the right of the U.N. court to try him and have his handover to The Hague declared unlawful.

His lawyers are working on behalf of The International Committee to Defend Slobodan Milosevic, which includes British playwright Harold Pinter and former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark.

Canadian lawyer Christopher Black, one of the those involved in the challenge, said last month that the chances of securing the ousted leader's release were "probably not that good" but "these things have to be tried."

Previous attempts by war crimes suspects facing trial at The Hague to challenge the jurisdiction of the U.N. court have failed.

The tribunal, established by the U.N. Security Council in May 1993, says it has a higher authority than national courts.

Milosevic was extradited from Yugoslavia on war crimes charges on June 28.

He is charged with four counts of war crimes, including crimes against humanity, for the deportation of about 750,000 ethnic Albanians out of Kosovo, as well as the deaths of hundreds of people killed during the Kosovo conflict in 1999. All carry possible life sentences.

Tribunal prosecutors have not ruled out expanded charges. A trial is expected to start next year.