Serbian late strongman Milosevic's widow dies: Friend

The widow of late Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic, often dubbed the "Lady Macbeth of the Balkans", has died in Russia at the age of 76, a friend told AFP on Sunday.

"I can confirm that unfortunately Mira Markovic passed away," Milutin Mrkonjic, once a close associate of Milosevic and a family friend said by telephone, giving no details. Local media reported that Markovic died in a Moscow hospital.

In 2003, Markovic -- who was known to have a huge influence on her husband -- left Serbia, where she was charged with abuse of power and was suspected of cigarette smuggling and political assassination.

In 2008, Russia granted both her and her son Marko Milosevic political asylum after Serbia issued an international arrest warrant for them in connection with alleged cigarette smuggling.

Slobodan Milosevic died in a prison cell in March 2006 while on trial for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity before the UN war crimes court for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague for his key role in the 1990s wars that tore the Balkans apart.