Date: 21.08.2013
Time: 12:30
Registry and Chambers:
Magdalena Spalińska, Spokesperson for Registry and Chambers, made the following statement:
Good afternoon,
I would like to welcome everyone back after the summer recess. I will first highlight several court filings that were issued over the recess.
In the Radovan Karadžić case, the Trial Chamber on 2 August denied Karadžić’s motion to sever count 1 in the indictment charging him with genocide in a number of municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, the Chamber partially granted his motion for a suspension of the trial and ordered the hearings to resume on Monday, 28 October. The suspension would allow time for the Defence to adjust his preparations for the defence case on Count 1. On 7 August, Karadžić filed his appeal from a portion of the Trial Chamber’s decision. In his appeal the accused claims that the Appeals Chamber had instructed the Trial Chamber to reconsider the motion for judgement of acquittal pursuant to Rule 98bis.
On 11 July 2013, the Appeals Chamber reversed the Trial Chamber’s acquittal of the accused for genocide in some BiH municipalities under count 1 and reinstated the charges against Karadžić under this count. Subsequently, 16 July 2013 the accused filed the motion to sever count 1 from the indictment claiming that the trial should resume and complete on the remaining counts, following which the Prosecution would decide how to proceed on count 1 after the judgement. In a separate motion filed on 24 July 2013, the accused requested the suspension of the trial, so that he could have “adequate time and facilities to defend himself on count 1”, which the Trial Chamber now partially granted.
In its decision made public on 13 August, the Chamber in the Mladić case concluded that an order to reduce the trial sitting schedule is not warranted at this time. The accused’s health will be closely monitored and the schedule will be reassessed if needed in the future.
In the Stanišić and Župljanin appeals case, the Prosecution and the Defence for Mićo Stanišić have filed their appeal briefs. Both Stanišić and Župljanin were sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed between April and December 1992 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In May of this year all parties filed their notices of appeal against the Trial Chamber’s Judgment.
In its appeal brief, the Prosecution requests higher sentences for both accused in the range of 30 – 40 years. The Stanišić Defence presented 15 grounds of appeal in its brief and is asking for an acquittal of all charges or a significantly lower sentence.
Now for the courtroom schedule, hearings in the Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić trials continue this week and next as scheduled. Proceedings in the case of Radovan Karadžić are adjourned until Monday, 28 October.
In the Mladić case, a protected witness RM-249, is currently testifying about the events in Srebrenica in July 1995. He is the 132nd witness to be called by the Prosecution.
In the Hadžić case today, witness John Wilson, former UN official in the former Yugoslavia, is currently testifying. He is the 69th witness to be called by the Prosecution.
Office of the Prosecutor:
Aleksandar Kontić, member of the Prosecutor’s Immediate Office, made no statement.
Questions:
No questions were asked.