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1 Monday, 27 January 2003
2 [Initial Appearance]
3 [Open session]
4 [The accused entered court]
5 --- Upon commencing at 3 p.m.
6 JUDGE ROBINSON: Let the Registrar call the case, please.
7 THE REGISTRAR: Good afternoon, Your Honour. This is Case Number
8 IT-99-37-I, the Prosecutor versus Milan Milutinovic, Nikola Sainovic, and
9 Dragoljub Ojdanic.
10 JUDGE ROBINSON: May I have the appearances for the Prosecutor.
11 MR. NICE: The Prosecutor appears today by me, with Kristina
12 Romano and Milbert Chen, and our case manager is Susan Grogan.
13 JUDGE ROBINSON: Thank you, Mr. Nice.
14 For the Defence.
15 MR. LIVINGSTON: John Livingston for the defendant Milan
16 Milutinovic.
17 JUDGE ROBINSON: Thank you, Mr. Livingston. This is the initial
18 appearance of Mr. Milan Milutinovic upon his transfer to the Tribunal, and
19 the hearing is to be conducted in accordance with Rule 62. The accused
20 will be asked to enter a plea on the indictment dated the 19th of July,
21 2002. Mr. Livingston, may I take it that the accused has received copies
22 of the third amended indictment?
23 MR. LIVINGSTON: Yes, he's seen that. I've discussed it with him,
24 and if it helps, it would be perfectly in order for it to be put in a
25 short form to him.
Page 456
1 JUDGE ROBINSON: I take that to mean that he has waived the right
2 to have it read to him.
3 MR. LIVINGSTON: Yes, with the rest of it.
4 JUDGE ROBINSON: You have explained the indictment to him?
5 MR. LIVINGSTON: Yes, I have.
6 JUDGE ROBINSON: You have explained the charges to him?
7 MR. LIVINGSTON: Yes.
8 JUDGE ROBINSON: Thank you, Mr. Livingston.
9 Mr. Milutinovic, please stand. You've heard what your counsel has
10 said: The indictment has been explained to you, he has been through it
11 with you. You may, if you wish, have time to consider your plea. And you
12 will, in that regard, have a period of up to 30 days. On the other hand,
13 if you wish to enter a plea to the counts today, you may do so.
14 Do you wish to enter your plea today?
15 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Yes, I do.
16 JUDGE ROBINSON: Very well. I'll put the counts to you, and to
17 each count you will enter a plea. Confine your answers to "guilty" or
18 "not guilty."
19 Count 1 of the indictment charges you with deportation, a crime
20 against humanity, punishable under Article 5(d) of the Statute of the
21 Tribunal. How do you plead; guilty or not guilty?
22 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Not guilty.
23 JUDGE ROBINSON: Count 2 of the indictment charges you with other
24 inhumane acts, forcible transfer, a crime against humanity, punishable
25 under Article 5(i) of the Statute of the Tribunal. How do you plead?
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Page 458
1 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Not guilty.
2 JUDGE ROBINSON: And count 3 of the indictment charges you with
3 murder, a crime against humanity, punishable under Article 5(a) of the
4 Statute. How do you plead?
5 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Not guilty.
6 JUDGE ROBINSON: Count 4 charges you with murder, a violation of
7 the laws or customs of war, punishable under Article 3 of the Statute of
8 the Tribunal, and recognised by Article 3(1)(a) of the Geneva Conventions.
9 How do you plead?
10 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Not guilty.
11 JUDGE ROBINSON: Count 5 of the indictment charges you with
12 persecutions on political, racial, and religious grounds, a crime against
13 humanity, punishable by Article 5(h) of the Statute of the Tribunal. How
14 do you plead?
15 THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Not guilty.
16 JUDGE ROBINSON: That completes the plea. You may sit.
17 Mr. Nice, I just take the opportunity to remind you of the
18 Prosecutor's obligation under Rule 66(A)(ii) to make available to the
19 accused, within 30 days of the initial appearance, copies of the
20 supporting material accompanying the indictment as well as all prior
21 statements obtained by the Prosecutor from the accused.
22 MR. NICE: I think it may be 66(A)(i), and I am happy to tell Your
23 Honour that all that material, some 16 binders of it, is available for
24 service forthwith save for one outstanding item. I have explained what
25 the item is to Mr. Livingston. It is referred to in a letter by which the
Page 459
1 16 binders will be receipted, and we forecast that that one outstanding
2 item should be served within about a week, maybe less, maybe indeed, by
3 the end of this week. We hope so. By service of that last item of
4 confirmation materials under 66(A)(i), of course there is triggered the
5 running of time for preliminary motions by the accused.
6 JUDGE ROBINSON: Very well. I am glad to hear that that matter is
7 in hand. Is there any particular matter that you wish to raise,
8 Mr. Livingston?
9 MR. LIVINGSTON: There is one matter I'd like to raise, but I
10 think that will have to be in private session rather than in open session.
11 JUDGE ROBINSON: Very well. We’ll go into private session.
12 [Private session]
13 [redacted]
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Page 460
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6 [Open session]
7 THE REGISTRAR: We're in open session, Your Honour.
8 JUDGE ROBINSON: Yes, I have to say that the Status Conference
9 will take place on Thursday, February the 13th, at 3.00 p.m.
10 also the date of the Status Conference in respect of the other accused in
11 this case.
12 Are there any other matters? None.
13 MR. NICE: I thank Your Honour.
14 JUDGE ROBINSON: There being no other matters, the hearing is
15 adjourned.
16 --- Whereupon the initial appearance adjourned
17 at 3.08 p.m.
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