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Vladimir Kovacevic Granted Provisional Release for six Months

Press Release . Communiqué de presse

(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)


TRIAL CHAMBER:
CHAMBRE DE 1ERE INSTANCE

The Hague, 03 June 2004

CT/P.I.S./854e




VLADIMIR KOVACEVIC GRANTED PROVISIONAL RELEASE FOR SIX MONTHS




On Wednesday, 2 June 2004, Trial Chamber I, consisting of Judge Orie (Presiding), Judge El Mahdi and Judge Martin Canivell, ordered Vladimir Kovacevic to be provisionally released for an initial period of six months.


In coming to their Decision, Trial Chamber I noted "the medical report on the mental health of the Accused by the two Medical Experts appointed by the Tribunal filed on 17 December 2003 as well as the report filed on 18 February 2004 by the psychiatrist appointed by the Defence, the conclusions reached by the consulting psychiatrist of the United Nations Detention Unit ("the
UNDU") on 23 October 2003 and 27 February 2004, and the report filed by the Commanding Officer of the UNDU 27 February 2004 (
‘the Reports’)".


In addition, the Trial Chamber noted that "the Reports, each based on the particular experience and expertise of the author, strongly support the finding that the Accused, at this point, suffers from a serious mental disorder which presently renders him unfit to enter a plea to stand trial" and that "it is also recommended that the Accused be offered treatment urgently in
a mental health facility in a BCS-speaking environment, which may potentially improve the condition of the Accused"
.


Furthermore, the Trial Chamber considered a letter filed on 1 June 2004 by the Council of Ministers of Serbia and Montenegro, in which the Council agreed to accept Kovacevic in the Military Medical Academy in Belgrade for medical treatment as determined in the Chamber’s conditions.


Kovacevic’s provisional release in Serbia and Montenegro is subject to the specific terms and conditions set out in the Decision.




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