Date: 7.11.2012
Time: 12:00
Registry and Chambers:
Magdalena Spalinska, Spokesperson for Registry and Chambers, made the following statement:
Good afternoon,
The Appeals Judgement in the case of the two Croatian Generals, Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markač, charged with crimes committed during the 1995 ‘Operation Storm’ military offensive in Croatia, will be rendered next Friday, 16 November 2012 at 9:00 a.m. in Courtroom I. On 15 April 2011, Gotovina and Markač were found guilty of crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war committed by the Croatian forces during ‘Operation Storm’ between July and September 1995. They were sentenced to 24 and 18 years’ imprisonment respectively. The third Accused in the case, Ivan Čermak was acquitted of all charges. Details of the accreditation process have been issued to journalists who have until 17:00 on Wednesday 14 November to apply.
Turning next to a decision from last week, on Wednesday the Trial Chamber in case of Goran Hadžić denied the Accused’s urgent request for provisional release, filed on 25 October. In reaching its decision, the Trial Chamber took into account the incentives for Hadžić to abscond, and his proven ability and determination to avoid arrest. In light of this, the Chamber was not satisfied that Hadžić would appear for the remainder of his trial, if provisionally released.
Looking now at the courtrooms, proceedings in the trials of Goran Hadžić, Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić continue this week and next as scheduled:
In the trial of Goran Hadžić, the testimony of Witness GH-016 commenced yesterday and is expected to resume tomorrow in closed session.
In the trial of Radovan Karadžić, former officer in the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps of the Republika Srpska Army Predrag Trapara is testifying.
Prosecution expert witness Richard Philipps is currently testifying in the case of Ratko Mladić. His testimony relates to the command structure and the lines of reporting in the Sarajevo-Romanija Corps of the Republika Srpska Army.
Finally, this Tuesday a series of legacy conferences being held during November in the former Yugoslavia commenced with the first event in Sarajevo. Participants discussed issues ranging from the impact of the Tribunal’s legacy on the reconciliation process, to the responsibility of local accountability entities and the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals in preserving the Tribunal’s legacy. The importance of regional access to the Tribunal’s archives was also discussed. The second conference will take place tomorrow in Zagreb and the final conference will be held in Belgrade on Thursday, 22 November. Journalists are invited to cover the conferences. Further information is available online.
Office of the Prosecutor:
Frederick Swinnen, Special Advisor to the Prosecutor, made no statement.
Questions:
No questions were asked.
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
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