Time: 12:00
Registry and Chambers:
Christian Chartier, Acting Spokesperson for Registry and Chambers, made the following statement:
Good afternoon,
This week the Tribunal’s Registrar, John Hocking, has been visiting the region for the first time since his appointment as Registrar. He was in Zagreb on Monday and Tuesday and has been in Belgrade since Wednesday.
The Registrar is accompanied by his Chief of Office, Martin Petrov, and the Tribunal's spokesperson, Nerma Jelačić, and is holding a series of meetings in both capitals with Justice Ministers, Heads of Offices for Cooperation with the Tribunal, judicial authorities, and NGO representatives. The Registrar is also meeting with local representatives of international organisations such as the EU, the OSCE, and the UNDP. The main topics of discussion include the Completion Strategy, the legacy of the ICTY and Outreach.
On 21 April, the Defence for Rasim Delić notified the Tribunal that Delić had died at his home in Sarajevo on 16 April. The Defence also submitted to the Appeals Chamber that “the appeal proceedings should continue” and informed the Chamber “that General Delić’s family … authorise and request the appeals proceedings to conclude with the issuance of the Appeal Chamber’s judgement.”
Yesterday, the Prosecution filed its response, submitting that the Appeals Chamber should continue the proceedings in the interests of justice and issues an appeals judgement in this case.
The Appeals Chamber is now considering the Parties’ submissions.
Last Thursday, the trial for Gotovina and others adjourned sine die and the Presiding Judge announced that on 21 April, 2010 the Chamber granted a motion of the Prosecution to re-open its case. The decision was filed confidentially and the public version will be made available in due course. The Chamber also suspended the deadline for the filing of final briefs.
Now onto the court schedule:
The initial appearance in the contempt case against Vojislav Šešelj is scheduled for this afternoon at 14:30 in courtroom I. Šešelj is charged with having disclosed information on 11 protected witnesses, including their real names, occupations and places of residence, in violation of the Trial Chamber’s orders in a book he authored. This is the second time Šešelj faces charges of contempt. On 24 July 2009, he was found guilty of contempt and sentenced to 15 months of imprisonment for disclosing the name and other personal details of protected witnesses in a book he authored. The case is currently pending before the Appeals Chamber.
The trial in the case against Mićo Stanišić and Stojan Župljanin adjourned yesterday – to resume on Monday at 14:15 in courtroom I.
The trials for Radovan Karadžić, Vlastimir Đorđević, Momcilo Perišić, Zdravko Tolimir as well as Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović will continue next week as scheduled.
Just a reminder, tomorrow the Tribunal will be closed for the Queen’s Day holiday and trials will resume on Monday.
Office of the Prosecutor:
Olga Kavran, Spokesperson for the Office of the Prosecutor, made no statement.
Questions:
A journalist asked if it would be legally possible to continue with the Appeals proceedings in the Rasim Delić case. Chartier answered that the Defence and Prosecution submissions both argue for the proceedings to continue and for the Appeals Chamber to render its judgement. Chartier pointed out that it is the first time that an accused has died after an Appeals hearing has been held and before the judgement has been delivered. This situation is not addressed by either the Tribunal’s Statute or Rules, said Chartier, adding that it meant that the Appeals Chamber could exercise its discretion based on case-law precedents.