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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: 26 June 2002
Time: 12:30 p.m.
REGISTRY AND CHAMBERS
Jim Landale,
Spokesman for Registry and Chambers, made the following statement:
Good afternoon,
Tomorrow, Thursday
27 June, a diplomatic seminar is being held here at the Tribunal for members
of the diplomatic community in The Hague. This event, the third of its kind
to be held at the Tribunal, is aimed at updating the diplomatic missions on
the work of the Tribunal, outlining the challenges that the court faces and
stressing the importance that the cooperation and support of all States plays
in the Tribunal’s work. Specifically, the seminar will focus on the ‘completion
strategy’ that is being developed by the President, the Prosecutor and the Registrar.
This ‘completion
strategy’ includes concentrating on the prosecution of the highest ranking political
and military leaders, and the possibility in the future, under certain specific
conditions, of the Tribunal deferring some of its mid and lower level cases
to national authorities.
The President,
Prosecutor and Registrar will all address the diplomatic representatives.
As you know, last
week the President, Prosecutor and Deputy Registrar undertook a trip to Bosnia
and Herzegovina to discuss possible deferrals of mid and lower level Tribunal
cases to the national authorities. The delegation met with the High Representative,
Lord Ashdown, politicians at all levels and from both Entities, as well as with
Judges, Prosecutors and victims’ associations. The Tribunal is advocating the
creation of a chamber within the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to try
war crimes cases, including those deferred by the Tribunal. In the course of
the meetings, the delegation heard many different ideas and viewpoints, but
I think that it is fair to say that the Tribunal’s position received broad support.
A number of you
were unable to attend the Milosevic session this morning, so I’ll very briefly
recap what was said. Judge May announced that hearings in the Milosevic case
will continue until 26 July. There will then be a four-week break, during which
time preparations can continue for the remaining sections of the trial. The
Trial Chamber will then sit again from 26 August until Friday 6 September to
hear the remainder of the Prosecution’s case on Kosovo. A pre-trial conference
on the Bosnia and Croatia parts of case was tentatively scheduled for Friday
12 July at 2.30 p.m., however some difficulties with that date were raised by
the Prosecution, so if it changes, we will let you know.
Finally, Judge
May announced that, in light of the past and present illness of the accused,
the Trial Chamber, pursuant to its powers under Rule 74 bis, orders that
there be a full medical examination of the accused and instructs the Registry
to make the necessary arrangements for a report to be submitted to the Trial
Chamber by 17 July.
Finally, I’ve
just been informed that the hearing in the Milosevic case is cancelled for tomorrow,
Thursday 27 June, due to the illness of the accused. The hearings are scheduled
to resume on Tuesday 2 July 2002 at 9 am in Courtroom 1.
In terms of
court documents:
- On 18 June,
we received the "Invitation to Registry to Comment on Defence Motion
to Dismiss or For Alternative Relief" in the Krajisnik and Plavsic
case.
- On 19 June,
we received the "Prosecution’s Response to Krajisnik’s Renewed Motion
for Provisional Release" in the Krajisnik and Plavsic case.
- On 20 June,
we received the "Decision on Application for Leave to Appeal Against
Judge Schomburg’s Decision on the Disqualification of a Judge Dated 3 May 2002"
in the Brdanin and Talic case. A bench of the Appeals Chamber rejected the application.
- On 20 June,
we received a "Scheduling Order" in Krnojelac. The Appeals
Chamber ordered that a Status Conference be held on Wednesday 31 July at 4.30p.m.
- On 20 June,
we received the "Decision on Prosecution’s Application for Certification
Under Rule 73(b) Concerning the Evidence of an Investigation" in the
Milosevic case. The Trial Chamber certified the interlocutory appeal of the
Decision.
- Also in the
Milosevic case on 21 June, we received the "Prosecution’s Response to
‘Observations by the Amici Curiae on the Amended Expert Report of Morton Torkildsen
Filed 29th May 2002.’ "
- On 21 June,
we received the "Prosecution’s Submission of Three Written Statements
Provided Pursuant to Rule 22 bis" in the Milosevic case.
- On 21 June,
we received the "Order on Depositions" in the Naletilic and
Martinovic case.
- Also on 21 June,
we received the "Order on Notice Regarding Redactions to Prosecution’s
Respondent Brief" in the Blaskic case. The Trial Chamber ordered that:
"1)
the public version of the Appellant’s Brief on Appeal, filed 7 March 2002,
be regarded as a confidential filing in all proceedings before the International
Tribunal, and any person who has already received a copy of it prior to this
order shall treat it as such and shall not disclose it in any form to any
other person, unless leave to do so is granted by express order of the Appeals
Chamber; any disregard of this order shall be subjected to proceedings under
Rule 77 of the Rules;"
- Finally on 21
June, we received the "Order for Hearing on Motion for Provisional Release"
in the Ljubicic case. A motion hearing is scheduled for Monday 1 July 2002 at
3.00p.m.
Copies of all
these documents will be available on request after the briefing.
On
behalf of the Outreach Programme:
Open
Society Fund in Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with the ICTY Outreach
is organising a conference entitled "The Role of Witnesses in War Crimes
Proceedings" which will take place in Banja Luka on 27 June 2002.
The
conference aims to provide prosecutors, judges, police investigators, representatives
of war victims associations, media and other relevant institutions and individuals
with an opportunity to discuss different aspects of witness testimonies in war
crimes proceedings, as well as issues concerning witness protection, especially
the procedures used before ICTY and local courts.
The
conference will also provide the representatives of victims associations with
an opportunity to express their views on the importance of witness testimony
as a chance to tell the victims’ story.
Discussion on
the issue should give the relevant professionals and the public in Bosnia and
Herzegovina an insight into many details related to witness testimony in war
crime cases and it should contribute to the demystification of the status of
witnesses appearing before the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague
and witness protection measures practiced before ICTY.
Finally, due to
the Diplomatic Seminar tomorrow, the tables in the lobby will be removed for
a period during the day.
Florence
Hartmann, Spokeswoman for the Office of the Prosecutor, made no statement.
Questions:
Asked if the
medical ordered by the Trial Chamber for Mr Milosevic was a common or uncommon
practice, Landale replied that quite clearly the medical had been ordered because
Mr Milosevic had been unwell in the past and was unwell again at the moment.
The judges would like to be in the position to have the expert opinion of a
doctor as to exactly what the situation was with regard to his medical condition.
Asked if it was
flu and fever Landale replied that to his understanding it was.
Asked if the
Prosecution would request further weeks following the decision to allow two
more weeks for the Prosecution to present the Kosovo component in the Milosevic
case, Hartmann replied that it was still to premature to say. The possibility
has been left open by Judge May for the prosecution to apply for one additional
week, around 6 September, if they felt they needed it, Landale added.
Asked if
Mr Milosevic would present his case after this date, Landale replied that the
Prosecution would present the entirety of their case not only for Kosovo, but
also the Bosnia and Croatia components. Following this the accused would then
have the opportunity to present his case, Hartmann added. The pre-trial conference
for Bosnia and Croatia was currently scheduled for 12 July, although this might
change, Landale added.
Asked if Nebojsa
Pavkovic was one of the unknown names mentioned in the Kosovo indictment, Hartmann
replied that she had no comment.
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