BELGRADE, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Serbia's Ministry of Justice on Thursday demanded the extradition of the widow and son of the late Serbian autocrat Slobodan Milosevic, both of whom were granted refugee status by Russia.

"Since their whereabouts are known, the Justice Minister decided to send the request for their extradition," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia's migration service confirmed earlier this month that Milosevic's wife, Mira Markovic, and his son Marko, had been granted refugee status in 2006 because their lives were under threat in Serbia.

Serbia has issued warrants for both on fraud charges via the international police organisation Interpol.

Milosevic's son Marko left the country when his father was ousted in October 2000. Markovic fled Serbia for Russia in 2003 during a wave of arrests which followed the assassination of reformist Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic.

Before that, she regularly visited Milosevic in The Hague war crimes tribunal where he was on trial for crimes against humanity. He died in March 2006.

Several Serbian investigations have been launched, including into allegations they led a cigarette smuggling ring while the country struggled under international sanctions in the 1990s. (Reporting by Ksenija Prodanovic; editing by Ellie Tzortzi and Philippa Fletcher)

AlertNet news is provided by