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Please
note that this is not a verbatim transcript of the Press Briefing. It is merely
a summary.
ICTY Weekly Press
Briefing
Date: 25 November 1998
Time: 11:30 a.m.
REGISTRY AND CHAMBERS
Jim Landale, the ICTY Spokesman, began todays briefing by making the following
announcements:
The Jelisic trial
for Genocide will begin next Monday, 30 November at 2 p.m.
In the Celebici
case, Hazim Delic has filed a notice of appeal. He now has 90 days to file the
actual appeal, setting out the grounds for his appeal.
The next hearing
in the Kupreskic case has been delayed, because one of the defence team has
been taken ill. The trial is scheduled to resume on Monday 11 January at 9.30
a. m. in Courtroom III.
And lastly, the
press information packs have been updated, so new copies can be picked up after
the briefing.
QUESTIONS:
Asked if there
had been any reactions to President McDonalds speech before the United
Nations General Assembly, Landale replied that he had not heard of any specific
reactions.
Asked whether
there had been any progress in Belgrade, Deputy Prosecutor Graham Blewitt
replied that there was still no movement at all and that he found it interesting
that particular visas had not been issued regarding non- Kosovo investigations.
He added that the Belgrade authorities were aware of the fact that these investigations
were related to Serb victims and that these investigations were progressing
towards finalisation.
Asked whether
he thought that it was becoming a matter of principle, Blewitt replied that
he was not prepared to make that interpretation and that the Belgrade authorities
obligation towards the Tribunal had been re-emphasized in the Security Councils
latest resolution.
Asked whether
there were currently any investigators working in the FRY, Blewitt replied
that there were no investigators there now but that there had been last week.
Asked whether
the conditions for investigators were different in the FRY than in other areas
of the former Yugoslavia and whether investigators were escorted, Blewitt
replied that, when they were investigating, no escort was needed and that
investigators were allowed to travel freely within the territory.
Asked whether
there were plans to go back to the FRY, Blewitt replied that investigations
would be maintained and that there were plans to go back, but added that he
could not give an exact number of investigators.
Asked whether
the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) was aware that the United States was going
to offer rewards for arrests and whether OTP supported this initiative, Blewitt
replied that they were aware of the initiative and that it was a novel approach.
He added that, if arrests took place as a result of this initiative, then
they would have to examine the circumstances.
Asked whether
the Prosecution had filed any appeal in the Celebici case, Blewitt replied
that they were still discussing various options, but that the intention was
unchanged.
Asked which
case, apart from Jelisic, would be next to go to trial, Blewitt replied that
the OTP was ready to start on all of them, but that it was a question for
the Trial Chamber to schedule trial dates.
Asked whether
any new indictments could be expected soon, Blewitt replied that sealed indictments
would be issued soon and that he assumed that there would be arrests resulting
from these indictments.
Asked whether
all indictments would be sealed as a matter of policy, Blewitt replied that,
even if a State were to be cooperative, a sealed indictment might still be
helpful, for example in avoiding injury. He added that these sealed indictments
might also concern cases outside of Bosnia, for example in Croatia.
Asked whether
OTP was still considering Rule 61 hearings or whether they had been abandoned
entirely, Blewitt replied that the Rule 61 procedure could still be used in
appropriate cases, but that it would take a lot of time and effort and that
they were very busy in court. He explained that Rule 61 was used to bring
attention to the fact that people were indicted and that there was lack of
cooperation. However, arrests had taken place, since then, he said.
Asked whether
OTP was satisfied with SFORs attitude bearing in mind that Radovan Karadzic
is still at large, presumably in Bosnia, Blewitt replied that he was confident
that there would be more arrests. and that he was aware that initiatives were
taking place. He stressed that no one was excluded from SFOR actions.
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