2011

17 December, Sarajevo, BiH

Training on access to ICTY documents for BIRN journalists

BiH Registry Liaison Officer held a training session on “Access to Relevant ICTY materials” for a group of Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) journalists/court reporters from the Balkan region in Sarajevo. During the interactive training, participants were taught how to access to key ICTY documents and tolls for access to court records, transcripts as well as the ICTY appeals jurisprudence tool. The training participants from Serbia, Croatia, BiH, Kosovo and FYROM stressed that the learned skills would be very useful for their future journalistic work. Stressing the importance of the presentation, BIRN director asked for this project to be extended to other regional journalists, and for it to be included in their future training process in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

ICTY's Outreach Programme in cooperation with BIRN

15 December, Sarajevo, BiH

ACIPS conference on remembrance

BiH Registry Liaison Officer (RLO) attended the regional conference "How Do We Remember" in Sarajevo. The conference served as a platform to present the results of the analysis of memorialisation efforts in BiH, Croatia and Serbia. The participants discussed a possible common model of memory preservation, with special regard to the views of the academic community that had so far been absent from this discourse.

BiH RLO used the opportunity to introduce some of the panellists to the Outreach activities in BiH, including educational projects.

This event was organised by ACIPS

14 December, Sarajevo, BiH

High school presentation project launched in BiH

In the second half of December 2011, BiH Registry Liaison Officer (RLO) visited three high schools in Sarajevo, Banja Luka and Prijedor in order to introduce the students to the work of the Tribunal and its achievements. These presentations mark the beginning of the series in Bosnia and Herzegovina which, with the backing of the relevant ministries of education, will comprise presentations at 15 high schools during the winter and spring terms of this academic year. At the launch event which was held at the Sarajevo Prva gimnazija on 14 December a group of fourth grade students followed a multi-media presentation and discussed issues connected with the work of the Tribunal. They were also provided with materials containing additional information on the Tribunal and promotional materials, including personalized notebooks, pencils and keycords. They were further encouraged to visit the Tribunal’s website and social media sites. The presentations in Gimnazija high school in Banja Luka and Gimnazija ‘Sveti Sava’ high school in Prijedor followed on 21 and 22 December respectively.

ICTY's Outreach Programme with the generous funding of the Government of Finland

13 December, The Hague

Study visit of Macedonian judges

Outreach hosted a group of Macedonian judges who were in The Hague as part of the longer study visit by the Centre for International Legal Cooperation that focused on the jurisprudence of international courts and the tribunals. The group heard presentations about the structure, mandate and the achievements of the Tribunal as well as the challenges it is facing in the final years of its existence. The judges were very interested in the work of the Tribunal and a lot of questions were asked. The group received some BCS and English copies of the Manual of Developed Practices, information on where to find the information on the Tribunal’s jurisprudence and how to file official requests for assistance. After the presentation the group attended a hearing.

The visit was organised by the Centre for International Legal Cooperation

12-16 December, The Hague

Study visit of Bosnian journalists

Balkan Investigative Reporting Network brought a group of mainstream Bosnian media journalists for a study visit to the Tribunal. The group had a tailor-made program which included presentations on, among other topics, ICTY achievements, regional media and the Tribunal, Residual Mechanism, role of Prosecution and Defence in the ICTY procedure, contempt of court, working with witnesses and Detention Unit. The group also had an informal meeting with the Prosecutor and attended hearings. The visit was very successful, most of the presentations were very well received and the overall impression was positive.

The visit was organised by BIRN

26 November, Novi Sad, Serbia

Helsinki Committee lecture on transitional justice

Belgrade Registry Liaison Officer (RLO) took part in a lecture on transitional justice at the Faculty of Philosophy in Novi Sad. RLO coordinated this event with Helsinki Committee staff and prepared a short presentation on the work and achievements of the Tribunal. The Head of the Helsinki Committee spoke about transitional justice systems while a writer and sociologist from Serbia spoke about the definition of genocide, various examples of  genocide throughout history and how how society dealt with the legacy of mass violence. Another representative of the Helsinki Committee gave a presentation on the role of media during the wars in the region, as well as their role today in the reconciliation process. This was followed with students asking questions about the trial of Vojislav Šešelj, but most time was spent discussing the crime of genocide. A journalist from RTV Vojvodina was present at the event and interviewed all the speakers.

This lecture was organised by Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in cooperation with the ICTY's Outreach Programme

Presentation on the ICTY's contribution to dealing with the past

Outreach Public Information Officer (PIO) from The Hague and Administration and Information Assistant from Pristina Field Office took part in the workshop "Multiculturalism in post-conflict societies". PIO held a presentation on the work of ICTY and its achievements, fighting impunity and contribution to the peace in the region; she also talked about ICTY contribution to the four pillars of dealing with the past. She answered questions which were mainly on the four ICTY case files transferred to FYROM, where the presenter satisfied the curiosity of attendees with clarification why and how the files were returned to local judiciary in FYROM. 

The workshop in Ohrid was the fifth module of a longer training course and it is part of the training of trainers programme attended mainly by young FYROM political party’s representatives and few NGOs.

The workshop was organised by Center for Institutional Development (CIRA), Progres and Friedrich Ebert Foundation in FYROM

25 November, The Hague

Visit of Clingendael Institute Alumni

Outreach hosted a group of mid level diplomats who were alumni of the Clingendael Institute courses for one-day study visit. The visitors were informed of the mandate, structure and the achievement of the Tribunal, heard presentations from the defence and the OTP and also attened a trial hearing.

The visit was organised by the Clingendael Institute

Judge Moloto lectures at training of judges and prosecutors

ICTY Judge Bakone Justice Moloto took part in a two-day training on criminal procedure for judges and prosecutors from the region dealing with organised crime. The training took place in Babe, a resort close to Belgrade and covered a range of topics, including the role of the court, role of the parties, standards of proof, purpose of pre-trial conferences, case presentation and trial advocacy. Judge Moloto spoke about presenting evidence, examination and cross-examination of witnesses at the ICTY.

The event was organised by the OSCE Mission to Serbia

Presentation for Istrian Association of Jurists

A presentation on the work and achievements of ICTY was delivered to members of the Association of Jurists in Istria County Administration in Pula. The seven minute short version of the upcoming Sexual Violence documentary was also screened and ICTY publications and information material distributed. A dozen members of the Association expressed satisfaction with the presentation, adding that they learned facts about the ICTY that they were not aware of earlier. 

The presentation was organised by the ICTY's Outreach Programme

8 November, The Hague

Visit of filmmakers from the Cultural Aid Foundation

Outreach hosted a group of international filmmakers for a one-day study visit to the Tribunal. The visitors heard presentations on the Outreach, media and achievements of the the Tribunal, while representative of the OTP spoke about the cooperation of states with the OTP. The group had a lot of questions and the overall feedback was very positive. The group also attended a trial hearing.

The visit was organised by Cultural Aid Foundation

Presentation to NGOs on the fight against wartime sexual violence

The Zagreb Liaison Office hosted members of various human rights and women’s rights NGOs at ICTY’s Zagreb Field Office. Outreach staff delivered a presentation on the ICTY achievements in the prosecution of sexual violence. A short version of the upcoming Outreach documentary on the subject was also screened. Afterwards, the participants engaged in a lively discussion. They all expressed interest in attending the premiere screening of the documentary.

The event was organised by the ICTY's Outreach Programme in cooperation with the NGO Žene Žrtve Rata

Visit of Judges Associates from Serbia

The Tribunal’s Outreach Programme welcomed a group of Serbian judges' associates of the Belgrade High and Appellate Courts' War Crimes Departments on a three-day visit to the ICTY. As part of their visit, the judges’ associates attended presentations on a variety of topics, including the Tribunal’s jurisprudence, its legacy and Residual Mechanism. The group had an opportunity to meet with a number of Tribunal officials with whom discussed legal and other relevant practical issues including how to access ICTY evidence and use the Appeals Chamber Law Research tool. The group also attended hearings in two trials and the feedback received was very positive.

The visit was organised by the OSCE Mission to Serbia

20 year anniversary of Dubrovnik siege commemoration conference

A conference was held in Dubrovnik to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the siege of the city. ICTY Legal Officer, Ms Svetlana Martynova, spoke at the conference about the legal intricacies of the Strugar case. Head of the Zagreb Office also took part in the conference and spoke about the ICTY role and achievements. In addition to this, the ICTY played Inside the Tribunal video feature. Around 40 people attended the conference, including former Croatian President Mesić, Dubrovnik Mayor, representatives of various NGOs from the region, monitors of local war crimes trials etc.

The conference was organised by NGO Documenta and Centre for Human Rights

Conference on women in conflict prevention, crisis management, peace building

The need to engage women in all phases of conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation was highlighted at the closing of a two-day conference held in Sarajevo. The Registry Liaison Officer in BiH (RLO) attended the conference and informed the participants of the upcoming documentary on sexual violence produced by Outreach. The conference aimed at providing a forum for government representatives, policymakers, civil society actors, as well non-governmental and international organizations to discuss how to improve the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on the role of women in peace and security. RLO spoke at the conference about the achievements of the ICTY in this field.

The conference was organized by the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Closing event of the War Crimes Justice Project

The closing event of the War Crimes Justice Project was held in Sarajevo, where beneficiaries hailed the Project’s achievements at strengthening the capacity of national judiciaries across the region to handle war crimes cases. The closing event was the time to assess the many achivements and impact of the project.

Speakers at the event included EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle, ODIHR director Ambassador Janez Lenarčič, UNICRI director Dr. Jonathan Lucas and ICTY Judge Fausto Pocar. After the event, the last peer to peer meeting of ICTY judges with their colleagues from the region was held, and the judges used this opportunity to share their experience in adjudicating war crimes cases.

The event was extensively covered by numerous media outlets in all the countries of the region.

This event was organised by the War Crimes Justice Project

War Crimes Justice Project: Presentation of the Defense Manual in BCS

ODIHR/OSCE, in cooperation with the War Crimes Justice Project organised the presentation of the Defence Manual for defence counsel in war crimes cases translated into BCS on the premises of the Media Centre of the War Crimes Court in Belgrade.

The Manual was prepared by the Association of Defence Counsel Practicing before the ICTY in cooperation with ODIHR/OSCE and UNICRI and presents the best practices and methods used in the defence at the ICTY and aims to provide defence counsel in domestic cases with useful tools in their daily work. RLO attended this event, which gathered a number of local lawyers defending the accused before the ICTY.

This event was organised by the War Crimes Justice Project

United Nations Day Celebration

The UN Country Team in Croatia hosted a reception for Croatian authorities, the international and diplomatic community and friends of the UN at the National University Library. UN Country Representative Louisa Vinton made a speech on behalf of the UN, and Croatian President Ivo Josipović also addressed the audience. During the tour of the exhibition the Croatian President briefly discussed the ICTY presentation with the Head of ICTY Office.

The BCS version of the book from the 2010 Legacy Conference was displayed and offered to interested guests and students.

The UN Exhibition was susequently open to the public for five days. The ICTY Zagreb office displayed 12 posters that convey the various achievements of the ICTY. In addition to this, the BCS version of the ICTY short video clip "Inside the Tribunal" played on a continuous basis on two large screen TVs placed next to the main entrance points to the library, providing easy access for students. 

This event was organised by United Nations Country Team in Croatia in cooperation with the ICTY’s Outreach Programme

War Crimes Justice Project: Presentation of the Defense Manual in Albanian

ODIHR/OSCE, in cooperation with the War Crimes Justice Project, organised the presentation of the Defence Manual in Albanian for defence dealing with war crimes cases in Kosovo. The Manual was prepared by the Association of Defence Counsel Practicing before the ICTY in cooperation with ODIHR/OSCE and UNICRI and presents the best practices and methods used in the defence at the ICTY and aims to provide defence counsel in domestic cases with useful tools in their daily work. The event was attended by judges, prosecutors and lawyers from Kosovo and representatives of international organisations based there.

This event was organised by the War Crimes Justice Project

Visit of Serbian Human and Minority Rights Professionals

The Tribunal’s Outreach Programme hosted a group of human and minority rights professionals from the Serbian Ministry for Human & Minority Rights, Public Administration and Local Self-Government on a two-day study visit to the ICTY. The group had an opportunity to meet with a variety of the Tribunal’s officials and get acquainted with a number of topics including the ICTY’s legacy, its Residual Mechanism, cooperation of states and the legal aid provided to accused. The programme included a tour of the Detention Unit where the group learned about the Tribunal’s  efforts to manage the facility according to the highest international standards.

The visit was supported by the EU funded project for the Implementation of Priorities in the Areas of Human Rights & Protection of National Minority Groups and organised by the Serbian Ministry of Human and Minority Rights

Visit of Croatian Sit Volleyball Team

A group from the Croatian sit volleyball team came to a one day visit to the Tribunal. They attended a hearing and had a brief Q&A session with the Outreach representative.

The visit was organised by the Croatian Embassy in the Netherlands

Visit of ELSA Law Students from Rijeka

Outreach Programme hosted a group of law students from the University of Rijeka, Croatia for a one-day study visit which was part of their study trip to European institutions. The students heard presentations on a variety of topics including the structure, mandate and achievements of the Tribunal, its legal system, cooperation of states with the OTP and their cooperation with national judiciaries. The group also attended a hearing in the Karadžić case. The students were very interested in the work of the ICTY as well as in possibilities to have an ICTY representatives give lectures at their University.

The visit was organised by ELSA

Visit of judges and prosecutors from Kosovo

The Tribunal’s Outreach Programme welcomed a group of judges and prosecutors from Kosovo for a two-day visit.

The visiting judges held peer-to-peer discussions with the Tribunal’s Judges on a number of topics, including witness protection, judgment drafting, challenges in adjudicating war crimes, procedural tools to expedite war crimes proceedings and access to ICTY evidence and legal material.

The Kosovo State Prosecution and Special Prosecution representatives met with officials from the Tribunal’s Office of the Prosecutor to discuss similar legal and other relevant practical issues, such as the handling of sensitive witnesses during investigations and trials. The Kosovo Prosecution representatives were also introduced to OTP evidence databases. All the visitors expressed their satisfaction with the presentations they attended.

This event was organised by the War Crimes Justice Project

Visit of ELSA Law Students from Sarajevo and Amsterdam

Outreach Programme hosted a group of law students from universities of Amsterdam and Sarajevo for a one-day study visit. The students heard presentations on the variety of topics including the structure, mandate and achievements of the Tribunal, cooperation of states with the Office of the Prosecutor and investigations. The group also attended a hearing. The students were very interested in the work of the Tribunal and the overall impression was very positive.

The visit was organised by ELSA

New Policy School Diploma Ceremony

Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) organised a Diploma Awards Ceremony for their New Policy School graduates. RLO attended the event to underline the contribution of the ICTY Outreach which had sent lecturers to the School. One of the speakers at the ceremony was the European Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin.

The ceremony was organised by Youth Initiative for Human Rights

Conference “Prosecuting War Crimes:Lessons and Legacies”

Head of Outreach participated in the conference 'Prosecuting War Crimes: Lessons and Legacies', held at King's College London. The conference focused on local perceptions of the ICTY and the use of audiovisual evidence in war crimes proceedings. Head of Outreach spoke about the ICTY's Outreach Programme and the Bridging the Gap series of lectures organised in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants of different backgrounds gave differing views on the public perceptions of international courts and how to influence them. Participants included representatives of international organisations, NGOs from the Balkans and international courts.

This conference was organised by King's College London

NGO Miramida organised Peace Building Days, in Grožnjan, Istria.  The ICTY representative attended the event and joined discussion regarding the ICTY’s role in regional peace. Around 30 representatives from various NGOs and some media outlets from the region took part in the two day event that discussed, among other things, the activities of NGO’s in the early 90’s, as well as issues they are currently facing. The RLO addressed the participants in a session about the transitional justice issues and spoke about the ICTY’s role and main achievements.

 This event was organised by NGO Miramida from Grožnjan

Zagreb Registry Liaison (ZLO) Officer gave a presentation to the NGO Centre for Civic Initiatives based in Poreč. The ZLO travelled to Pula to deliver a presentation to a dozen human rights activists and other concerned citizens. The well informed activists provided insightful comments, thanked ICTY for the effort, and encouraged the ZLO to expand similar outreach events in the future.  A lawyer and leader of the Association of Jurists of the Istria County expressed an interest in organizing a similar event for their members. After the event the ZLO gave an interview for the Novi list daily, based in Rijeka, on the work of ICTY and Outreach programme. 

This presentation was organised by the ICTY’s Outreach programme

Tribunal’s Outreach Programme hosted a group of witness support professionals from Croatia on a one-day study visit to the ICTY. The group consisted of four witness support professionals. During the visit, the participants met with members of the Tribunal’s Victims and Witnesses Section. They viewed a presentation on the mandate and functions of the Section, and took part in discussions on how to work with severely traumatised witnesses and how to deal with the emotional impact that working with witnesses may have on support professionals. 

The visit has been organised by the ICTY’s Outreach Programme in cooperation with the European Commission

The ZLO took part in the International UN Police Course for Deployment in UN Peacekeeping Missions, organised by the Croatian Police Academy for regional police officers selected to participate in UN Peacekeeping missions. Croatian and international trainers provided a two week course for 17 future UNPOL staff, mostly from Croatia but also from Serbia, BiH and Slovenia. The ZLO delivered a presentation on the ICTY and war crimes as defined in international law, presented a clip on fighting impunity for sexual violence in wartime, and responded to questions.  Representatives of UNDP, UNICEF and UNHCR also delivered presentations. 

This presentation was organised by the Croatian Ministry of Interior in cooperation with UNDP Mission in Croatia

The NGO Documenta organised a discussion at the Human Rights House under the title Suppressed wars, unfinished peace on the occasion of International Peace Day. Representatives from NGOs Documenta, Civic Committee for Human Rights and a historian who is a lecturer at the Zagreb University Faculty of Philosophy gave introductory speeches about the social process of facing the past.  During the discussions, the ZLO raised several points about the ICTY accomplishments and its contribution to peace in the region.

This conference was organised by NGO Documenta

The Project Coordinator of Humanitarian Law Centre for monitoring war crimes trials in Kosovo came to The Hague for a four day study visit to the Tribunal. The Project Coordinator met with representatives of Tribunal’s groundbreaking Victims and Witnesses Section and received an in-depth view of their work, the challenges they face and the achievements of this pioneering section of the Tribunal. A series of meetings with different representatives of the section was organised to cover all aspects of its work and the visitors had firsthand experience in dealing with witnesses who came to the Tribunal to testify. The visit greatly expanded the Project Coordinator’s knowledge of the methods and importance of protecting victims and witnesses.

This visit was organised by the War Crimes Justice Project

Head of Outreach appeared on a popular PINK Television Morning Programme and spoke about the Tribunal's achievements, its completion strategy and provided some general information on its work.

This appearance was organised by the ICTY’s Outreach Programme in cooperation with PINK Television

ICTY representatives took part in the conference that dealt with domestic prosecution for war crimes in the countries of the former Yugoslavia and the Tribunal's legacy, held in Belgrade. Around 100 judges, prosecutors and lawyers from the whole region participated. Three ICTY staff spoke at the event. Chief of the Immediate Office of the Registrar gave a detailed insight into what is already known about the mandate and functions of the Residual Mechanism for International Tribunals. Head of Outreach, and  OTP’s  Acting Head of Transition Team spoke about transferring responsibilities from the ICTY to national judiciaries. There was a lot of media coverage of the conference in the whole region.

This conference was organised by Humanitarian Law Center and Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN)

BiH Registry Liaison Officer (BiH RLO) and the Information Assistant (IA) took part in a two-day ‘train the trainers’ session in Sarajevo, which was the final training session of legal professionals in the former Yugoslavia under the War Crimes Justice Project (WCJP). The goal of the training was to strengthen professional and organizational capacities of identified legal educators, in order to continue providing training in the future. The training session covered the use of electronic research tools such as the website, the ICTY Court Records Database and the Appeals Chambers Case Law Research Tool, as well as making requests to the ICTY for legal assistance and for a variety of protective measures for witnesses and documents under the Tribunal’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence to judges, prosecutors, legal advisers, legal associates and defence lawyers.

This training was organised as part of the War Crimes Justice Project

Regional Seminar on Best and Promising Practices in Reducing Armed Violence in Europe in Westin Hotel in Zagreb. The ZLO attended and participated in the two day conference. The conference sought regional views on the “Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development”. The ZLO noted some of the accomplishments of the ICTY during the discussions. 

The conference was organised by Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development in cooperation with UNDP Mission in Croatia and Swiss Embassy in Zagreb

Outreach hosted a one day visit of protection officers from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Serbia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The group followed presentations on a series of topics including, among others: the Tribunal's databases, and access to them; cooperation of states; working with witnesses; security at the ICTY and had a tour of the courtroom. The presentations were well received and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

The visit was organised by the ICTY’s Outreach Programme in cooperation with Witness Protection in the Fight against Serious Crime and Terrorism (WinPro) Project of the European Commission

The RLO attended a presentation of three regional surveys on perceptions on the ICTY in BiH, Serbia and Croatia that were conducted by Belgrade Human Rights Centre. The presentation took place at the premises of the British Embassy in Belgrade and was attended by staff of several Embassies, journalists and other international institutions. A lively discussion ensued after the survey results were presented.

This presentation was organised by the Belgrade Human Rights Centre in cooperation with the British Embassy in Belgrade

BiH Registry Liaison Officer (BiH RLO) visited the "BiH Scout Jamboree at Boračko Lake" to lecture on the ICTY and transitional justice mechanisms. Scouts aged 12 to 17 years gathered from all over the Federation of BiH and Serbia to learn about the organization of the ICTY and topics related to its mandate. The forty minute presentation was organized at the scouts’ camp in the vicinity of Konjic. Girl and Boy scouts showed much interest in the subject, asking numerous questions related to war crimes cases in Bosnia and Herzegovina. ICTY promotional material, including several sets of Bridging the Gap books, were distributed among the participants after the presentation.

This event was organised by the ICTY’s Outreach Programme.

Outreach hosted a half day visit of diplomats from the Western Balkans and Turkey who participated in a study visit to the Netherlands and the international institutions in The Hague. The participants were informed about the establishment, mandate and achievements of the Tribunal, its Completion Strategy and the importance of outreach. The guests were also informed about the cooperation of states with the ICTY as this was important for their work. The group showed keen interest in the procedures of the Tribunal, enforcement of sentences and sentencing practice. After the presentations lively discussion ensued and the feedback received was very positive.

This visit was organised in cooperation with Clingendael Institute

Head of Outreach attended a two-day conference “Picturing Moral Courage: Stories of Survival” in Sarajevo. The aim of the conference was to educate Bosnian youth and their neighbours in the Balkans on topics related to moral courage and rescuer behavior and their importance to sustainable peace in the country by using several creative approaches: a photo exhibition depicting rescuers from all over the world and their personal narratives; workshops that teach students how to use various forms of artistic expression as a tool for peace-building and social action; and a dramatic reenactment of rescuer narratives performed by professional actors. Additionally, conference panelists and speakers presented a wide variety of perspectives and topics from the fields of genocide study, education, art, media and peace-building. 

The conference was organized by the Post-Conflict Research Center, the Center for Justice and Reconciliation, PROOF Media for Social Justice and the US Embassy in Sarajevo.

Balkans Investigative Reporting Network in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIRN BiH) organised a presentation of a publication entitled “History Overshadowed by Trivia 2”, which analyses the way in which print media and news agencies in BiH, the region and the world have followed Karadžić's trial over the course of its first year. It followed a similar publication from 2009 which offered an analysis of media reports on Karadžić's arrest in the previous year.

BiH Registry Liaison Officer (BiH RLO), and Head of Outreach attended the presentation. The Head of Outreach, who wrote the foreword to the publication, opened by speaking about the media coverage of ICTY trials and stressed the responsibility of the media to communicate the information about the Tribunal’s work in a balanced and accurate manner. According to the results of the analysis, media in BiH, the region and the world have not shown much interest in reporting on testimonies at Radovan Karadžić's trial before the ICTY. The analysis has further demonstrated that media reports contain considerable amount of journalists' comments and that reporting is often biased.

BiH RLO used the opportunity to distribute copies of the ICTY legacy book to attendees, including representatives of judicial institutions, NGOs and the media.

This event was organised by BIRN BiH

ICTY Sarajevo Field Office hosted a group of 17 University of North Carolina (UNC) undergraduate students, as part of their six-week study program of international intervention in the Western Balkans. The UNC Summer Program combines coursework with learning through experience to investigate the structure and dynamics of international organizations and their role in conflict resolution, democratization and state-building in the former Yugoslavia. A central element of their interest is the role of international actors during the conflicts and in the post-conflict reconstruction processes. Special attention is given to OSCE, EU, NATO, UN, OHR and the ICTY. The head of the ICTY mission to BiH, gave an extensive presentation of OTP investigative work and Tribunal’s achievements. BiH Registry Liaison Officer gave an overview of the structure and role of the ICTY Registry and issues related to victims and witnesses. The one hour presentation was followed by Q&A session.

This presentation was organised by the ICTY’s Outreach Programme

For the first time ever, the Outreach Programme hosted two groups of journalists concurrently for an entire week of meetings and presentations. One group consisted of editors from six Serbian media outlets, while the second one brought together journalists and editors from various media in BiH. At the very start of their visit, both groups attended the further appearance of Ratko Mladić and subsequently reported to their media outlets. The groups were welcomed by the Registrar. The journalists received a very comprehensive insight into the work of the Tribunal and heard presentations on, among other topics, achievements of the ICTY, investigations, court reporting, the roles of prosecution and defence in an adversarial legal system, contempt of court, work with witnesses, military analysis at the ICTY and the UN Detention Unit. The two groups also had an informal meeting with the Prosecutor. Two groups interacted well and complemented each other’s interests and the feedback received was remarkably positive.

The visit of the Serbian editors was organised in cooperation with the OSCE Mission to Serbia, while the visit of Bosnian journalists was organised by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN)

The ICTY Registrar, John Hocking, paid a three-day working visit to Sarajevo. Accompanied by the Chief of Office of the Registrar, the Head of Outreach/Spokesperson for the Registry and Chambers, and the BiH Registry Liaison Officer (RLO), the Registrar held a series of meetings with relevant national and international counterparts in BiH, including the Court of BiH and the BiH Office of the Prosecutor, members of the diplomatic corps in Sarajevo, including the High Representative and head of OSCE mission, as well as representatives of victims and civil society involved in transitional justice issues. The meetings, among others, were used to highlight the importance of and the planned activities of the Outreach programme. On the first day of the visit, the Registrar also addressed the REKOM conference held in Sarajevo.

This visit was organised by the ICTY’s Outreach Programme in BiH.

ICTY judges Fausto Pocar and Bakone Justice Moloto held peer-to-peer meeting in Bečići, Montenegro with their counterparts from the Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to share experiences in adjudicating war crimes cases. The peer-to-peer meeting was held as part of the War Crimes Justice Project, the aim of which is to facilitate the transfer of the Tribunal’s unique institutional knowledge and specialised skills in order to enhance the capacity of legal professionals in the region to process complex war crimes cases. This was the fourth peer-to-peer meeting to take place in the region since September 2010.

This meeting was organised as part of the War Crimes Justice Project

Under the program of support to the work of BiH judicial institutions, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska (HCHR RS) organized a television show titled "Protection and Support of Witnesses in War Crimes Cases", broadcast live on 25 June 2011 on a local private Bijeljina TV (BNTV). This one and half hour show hosted the president of "Snaga Žene" Association, a representative of "Izvor" Association from Prijedor, a lawyer from Zvornik, and the ICTY’s Registry Liaison Officer in BiH.

The BiH RLO used the opportunity to highlight the importance of the ICTY legacy and rich experience in victims and witnesses protection rules and procedures, including VWS professional challenges in protection and support issues. Viewers phone calls, received after the TV show, confirmed that the RLO’s appearance was well received. No incidents were reported. BiH RLO noted the possibility of more active professional cooperation between the Sarajevo Field Office VWS and the OTP and guests of the TV show, and forwarded the contact information to the officer in charge.

This television appearance was organised by Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska

The Tribunal held a two-day training session with 20 legal professionals from the Basic Court Skopje 1, the Appellate Court and the Basic Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime from Skopje, as part of the War Crimes Justice Project. The training was intended to strengthen the ability of the Tribunal’s local counterparts to locate and research ICTY information and materials relevant to their work. The training session covered the use of electronic research tools such as the website, the ICTY Court Records Database and the Appeals Chambers Case Law Research Tool. It also covered information on how to make requests to the ICTY for legal assistance and for variation of protective measures under the Tribunal’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence.

This meeting was organised as part of the War Crimes Justice Project

ICTY’s Outreach Programme has released a new feature on the prosecution of the crimes of sexual violence. The feature describes the enormous contribution the Tribunal made to the prosecution and adjudication of crimes of this nature. The Tribunal was among the first courts of its kind to bring explicit charges of wartime sexual violence, and to define gender crimes such as rape and sexual enslavement under customary law. From the first days of its mandate, the Office of the Prosecutor conducted investigations into reports of systematic detention and rape of women, men and children. Subsequently, almost half of those convicted by the ICTY have been found guilty of elements of crimes of sexual violence.

Thanks to the Tribunal’s pioneering achievements, treaties and conventions in existence throughout the 20th century, have finally been put in practice, and violations punished. Today, proceedings are ongoing for 19 accused whose indictments contain charges of sexual violence. The feature is available in English, French and Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, and is part of the Outreach Programme’s wider efforts to consolidate and present the vast array of the Tribunal’s achievements.

This feature was prepared by the ICTY’s Outreach Programme

The Tribunal held a two-day training session with legal professionals from the cantonal prosecutor’s offices in Široki Brijeg, Mostar, Trebinje, Goražde and Sarajevo as well as legal staff from Brčko District, the Court of BiH and the Office of the Prosecutor of BiH, as part of the War Crimes Justice Project. The goal of the training was to share the Tribunal’s institutional knowledge and specialised skills with jurisdictions in the region as a means of enhancing their capacity to handle complex war crimes cases. The training included information on how legal professionals can use of electronic tools to research ICTY information and materials relevant to their work and how to make requests for to the ICTY for legal assistance and how to make requests for variation of protective measures for witnesses. As part of another activity of this project, the Tribunal also delivered 1.800 pages of transcripts of proceedings held before it to Bosnian authorities during the month of June.

This training was held as part of the War Crimes Justice Project

The OSCE Mission in Serbia organised a gathering to mark the end of their project of professional development of Serbian media, which included visits to the ICTY, during which more than 50 journalists and editors from both national and regional media visited the Tribunal. The OSCE gathered all the stakeholders for a number of meetings, seminars and an alumni dinner which was attended by the Head of Outreach and a Senior Information Assistant from the Hague. The gathering included the screening of the documentary “Years Eaten by Lions”, directed by eminent Sarajevo-based journalist Boro Kontić, at the Center for Cultural Decontamination in Belgrade. The movie was followed by a panel on responsible reporting on armed conflict and war crimes. The gathering also included a seminar on the ICTY completion strategy and Residual Mechanism, cooperation between Serbia and the ICTY, attended by the Head of Outreach, and discussion on Outreach activities and strategies, and a regular meeting with the local NGOs.

This event was organised by the OSCE Mission to Serbia

Prosecutors from the Tribunal met with 20 prosecutors from across the former Yugoslavia, as part of the War Crimes Justice Project. The purpose of the meeting, which took place at the Academy for the Training of Judges and Prosecutors in Skopje, was to provide Prosecutors an opportunity to exchange experiences on legal issues related to the prosecution of war crimes cases. The discussion was very positive and effective and future meetings were agreed upon.

This meeting was held as part of the War Crimes Justice Project

The BiH Registry Liaison Officer attended the commemoration ceremony marking the 19th anniversary of war crimes committed against Bosniaks in Pionirska Street in Višegrad, where more than 70 civilians were burnt alive in the house of Adem Omeragić. Milan Lukić and Sredoje Lukić were sentenced for this crime in the first instance trial before the ICTY.

The memorial service was attended by a group of around 60 people, mostly representatives of victims groups and media from the BiH Federation. The ceremony was also attended by a representative of the U.S. Embassy in BiH. The SFO RLO expressed condolences, on behalf of the ICTY President, to Ms Bakira Hasečić, Chairwoman of the Association of Women Victims of War, who organized this ceremony. In her address to those present, Ms Hasečić particularly expressed appreciation for the support of Judge Robinson, President of the ICTY.

This commemoration was organised by the Association of Women Victims of War

The Registry Liaison Officer in BiH held a meeting with representatives of Women of Srebrenica Association in Tuzla, Ms Hajra Ćatić and Ms Hatidža Mehmedović, on 3 June 2011.
The meeting in Tuzla took place immediately following Ratko Mladić’s Initial Appearance at the ICTY. During the meeting, the BiH RLO provided detailed explanation of the Information Centres project, which was met with approval. Furthermore, they were introduced with certain points of the regional outreach strategy and asked for their support in the forthcoming implementation. The meeting with the BiH RLO was well received by Women of Srebrenica, whose representatives were assured they would be included in outreach activities and encouraged to contact the SFO for any issues related to the ICTY mission.

This meeting was organised by the Outreach representative in BiH

ICTY Outreach offices in the former Yugoslavia conducted consultations with NGOs in the region in relation to the initiative of the Office of the President to set up ICTY Information Centres in the region of the former Yugoslavia as part of the ICTY legacy. Questionnaires for NGO representatives were prepared in English, BCS and Albanian and sent out to the total of 129 NGO and civil society organisations in Slovenia, Croatia, BiH, Montenegro, Serbia, Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In total, 69 NGOs and civil society organisations responded. Their views will provide guidance in further talks with the national authorities and international community.

This survey was conducted by the ICTY’s Outreach Programme

The Tribunal launched the Appeals Chamber Case Law Research Tool database (ACCLRT) on its website in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian languages. Alongside its English version, the database provides legal professionals and the general public from the former Yugoslavia and beyond with greater access to the most significant legal findings of the Appeals Chamber of the ICTY and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).
The ACCLRT provides summaries from all appeals judgements, as well as the most significant decisions rendered by the ICTY Appeals Chamber since July 2004. It also contains appeals judgements and key decisions from the ICTR since January 2006. As a public tool, the database will be of crucial assistance to national jurisdictions dealing with war crimes cases.

The database was translated as part of the War Crimes Justice Project

The Tribunal held a two-day training session with legal professionals from district courts and prosecutors offices in Pristinë/Priština, Peja/Peć, Prizren and Gjilan/Gnjilane in Kosovo, as part of the War Crimes Justice Project. The aim of the training was to enhance the capacity of the Tribunal’s counterparts in Kosovo to handle complex war crimes cases. The training is intended to strengthen the ability of the Tribunal’s local counterparts to locate and research ICTY information and materials relevant to their work. The training session covered the use of electronic research tools such as the website, the ICTY Court Records Database and the Appeals Chambers Case Law Research Tool. It also covered making requests to the ICTY for legal assistance and for variation of protective measures under the Tribunal’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence.

This training was organised by the War Crimes Justice Project

The Tribunal made a significant donation of legal material to the libraries of the Centres for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training in Sarajevo and Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The donation includes a large number of copies of the ICTY’s Statute, Judicial Reports and Judgements translated into the local languages. It also includes copies of the European Human Rights Law Review, the Georgetown Law Journal, the Journal of International Justice, the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, the Stanford Law Review as well as other legal manuals and books on legal theory and practice.

This book donation was organised the ICTY’s Outreach Programme

ICTY held a two-day training session for judges, legal advisors and deputy prosecutors from the county courts and state attorney’s offices of Split, Zadar, Šibenik and Dubrovnik, as part of the War Crimes Justice Project. The goal of the training was to share the Tribunal’s institutional knowledge and specialised skills with jurisdictions in the region, thereby enhancing their capacity to handle complex war crimes cases. It was intended to strengthen the ability of the Tribunal’s local counterparts to locate and seek ICTY information and materials relevant to their work and covered the use of databases such as the website, the ICTY Court Records Database and the Appeals Chamber’s Case Law Research Tool.

This training was organised by the War Crimes Justice Project

9 – 13 May, The Hague

Outreach hosted a group of Serbian journalists from media outlets in southern Serbia. The group which comprised journalists and editors from communities with mixed ethnic background was welcomed by the ICTY’s Spokesperson. They were informed about the work of the Tribunal and given an overview of cases, attended presentations on, among other things, equality of arms, experiences of court reporting, crimes which are prosecuted at the ICTY, investigations, working with witnesses, contempt of court, UN Detention Unit and the legacy of the ICTY. The group was also informed about how to find information about the ICTY and the relations between the Tribunal and the regional media. The presentations were very well received and the feedback was encouraging. The group also attended hearings in Tolimir and Stanišić and Župljanin cases.

This visit was organised by the OSCE Mission to Serbia

ICTY staff from the victims and witnesses support section met in Belgrade with around 20 of their counterparts from Serbia, Croatia, BiH and Montenegro to share experiences of working with witnesses and victims as part of processing of war crimes cases.
This was the first regional meeting of witness support providers to take place as part of the WCJP.
Participants discussed and shared experiences on different models of witness support systems in the region, the development of witness support services after trials, and the experiences of witnesses testifying before national courts and the ICTY.

This meeting was organised by the War Crimes Justice Project

Outreach in The Hague together with Belgrade Field Office organised a video link presentation for law students from Belgrade on gender crimes. The presenter was an OTP analyst who spoke about general definitions, development of legal provisions and prosecution of wartime sexual violence,  and then focused on ICTY judgements and legacy in this field. The group was also informed about the new feature on gender crimes which is about to be launched on the ICTY website. The presentation was well received and a lively discussion ensued.

This video link presentation was organised by the ICTY’s Outreach Programme.

The Tribunal held a training session of legal professionals from the Appellate Court and High Court in Belgrade. The goal of the training was to share the Tribunal’s institutional knowledge and specialised skills with jurisdictions in the region, thereby enhancing their capacity to handle complex war crimes cases. It was intended to strengthen the ability of the Tribunal’s local counterparts to locate and seek ICTY information and materials relevant to their work and covered the use of databases such as the website, the ICTY Court Records Database and the Appeals Chamber’s Case Law Research Tool.

This training was held as part of the War Crimes Justice Project

Outreach hosted a group of NGO activists from different parts of the former Yugoslavia, organized by the People-2-People Programme who visited The Hague as a part of a study tour “Contribution of civil society to peace building initiatives in the Western Balkans”. The group followed presentations on the establishment, mandate and achievements of the Tribunal and the challenges it faces in its work, about the perceptions of the institution in the former Yugoslavia, Outreach work of the ICTY and met with representatives from the Office of the Prosecutor. The presentations were keenly followed and the group was very receptive to them. They also attended a hearing in Stanišić and Župljanin case.

This visit was organised by People to People programme and supported by the European Commission

Tribunal organised a two-day training session with judges and prosecutors from the district courts and prosecutor’s offices in Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Doboj and East Sarajevo which was held at the Judicial and Prosecutorial Training Centre of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka. The goal of the training was to share the Tribunal’s institutional knowledge and specialised skills with jurisdictions in the region as a means of enhancing their capacity to handle complex war crimes cases. The training included information on how legal professionals can use of electronic tools to research ICTY information and materials relevant to their work and how to make requests for to the ICTY for legal assistance and how to make requests for variation of protective measures for witnesses.

This training was held as part of the War Crimes Justice Project

Outreach hosted a group of the Croatian Justice Ministry officials for a half day visit as part of the wider visit to the Hague to undergo training at the European Academy for Law and Legislation. The visit to the Tribunal was important for the group who wanted to learn more about the institution which has considerable impact on the war crimes prosecution and debate in their country. The group was informed of the wide range of topics, which included, among others, enforcement of sentences, UN Detention Unit, legal aid, taking statements from witnesses and collecting evidence. The group also met with Judge Trechsel and was mostly interested in the Gotovina et al. trial judgement.
The group also attended a hearing in the Tolimir trial.

The visit was organised by European Academy for Law and Legislation

Outreach attended an NGO round table discussion on the public reaction and judicial consequences of the ICTY first instance judgement in the Gotovina et al. case. Speakers included Prof. Žarko Puhovski, journalist Ivica Đikić and Gen. Markač’s attorney Goran Mikuličić. The representatives of the NGO community as well as Đikić strongly criticised the media for unprofessional reporting on this case as well as war crimes issues in general – ignoring the victims, misrepresenting the facts, glorifying the indictees, creating false expectations regarding the verdict, etc. They also talked about Croatia’s reluctance to face the past. Mikuličić spoke about the defence’s view on Joint Criminal Enterprise (JCE) as a questionable legal institute. Questions posed by audience, mostly consisting of human rights activists, were related to the JCE and Croatia's prospects with regard to its EU integration and the closure of Chapter 23.

This roundtable was organised NGO Documenta

Outreach hosted a group of European Law students from the University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia who were in The Hague on a study visit to the judicial institutions based in this city. During their half day visit, the students heard presentations of representatives of Registry, Chambers and the OTP on, among other topics, the mandate, achievements and the challenges faced by the ICTY, current cases and applicable law. The presentations were followed by lively discussions. The group also attended a hearing in the Tolimir trial.

This visit was organised by the European Law Faculty of Nova Gorica

An extensive collection of ICTY judgments in BCS, as well as copies of the latest Rules of Procedure and Evidence and other relevant ICTY documents, was delivered to the BiH Criminal Defence Section (OKO).
This was the firs of three donations planned for BiH this spring. Two others will be delivered to the Centers for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training in Sarajevo and Banja Luka.

This book donation was organised by ICTY’s Outreach Programme

RLO attended a conference which dealt with the images of war/visual evidence and their impact on the public as well as court proceedings. The participants discussed the effects on public perceptions and attitudes towards particular crimes caused after visual evidence of the crime was presented. The conference also dealt with the probative value of visual evidence in domestic and international courts.

This conference was organised by King’s College London in cooperation with Humanitarian Law Centre

BiH Information Assistant (IA) attended a conference on ICTY legacy organised by the Belgrade Human Rights Center (BHRC). This was the third conference organised by the BHRC as a part of its “Internalisation of ICTY’s Legacy” project, with the first two taking place in Belgrade and Zagreb respectively. The conference was attended by approx. 30 participants, including ICTY Judge Moloto who spoke about the Tribunal’s greatest achievements. The conference also presented the results of an independent survey on BH citizen’s perceptions on ICTY, local judiciary and general issues related to war crimes and reconciliation.

This conference was organised by Belgrade Centre for Human Rights.

RLO attended a conference on the ICTY’s OTP demographic estimates of war time population losses in the former Yugoslavia, most notably in BiH. The information presented was the result of the 12 years of work of the ICTY’s Prosecution’s Demographic unit and included reports made for and tendered into evidence at specific ICTY trials. A former ICTY trial attorney Geoffrey Nice was a special guest of the conference and spoke about the importance of demographic evidence in proving mass patterns of crimes. Dr. Helge Brunborg, a former member of the OTP Demographic Unit, presented the methods and results of the Unit’s work.

This event was organised by the Serbian Helsinki Committee for Human Rights

The ICTY held a two-day training session for judges and prosecutors from district courts and prosecutor’s offices in Banja Luka, Bijeljina, Sarajevo and Doboj in the Centre for Training of Judges and Prosecutors of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka. The intention of the training was to strengthen the ability of the Tribunal’s local counterparts to locate and seek ICTY information and materials relevant to their work on the ICTY website (including ICR and ACCLRT). The training also covered making requests to the ICTY for legal assistance and for variation of protective measures under the Tribunal’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence.

This training was organised by the War Crimes Justice Project

Outreach hosted a group of law students from Serbia who were visiting the ICTY as a part of the study visit to The Hague, which also included short visits to the ICC and ICJ, and was the OSCE prize for the six best ranking students from a course on international criminal law. The students were given a brief overview of Tribunal’s history and Completion Strategy, heard presentations on equality of arms, ICTY legal procedures, joint criminal enterprise and command responsibility, weighing evidence and perception of the ICTY in the region, as well as working with witnesses. The students also had an informal meeting with the Prosecutor and attended a hearing in the Tolimir trial and met with Youth Initiative for Human Rights’ interns from the former Yugoslavia currently doing their internship in The Hague.

This visit was organised by OSCE Mission to Serbia and Faculty of Law in Belgrade

The ICTY Spokesperson and acting Head of Outreach, Nerma Jelačić, held three lectures about the ICTY at the New Policy School (NPS) in Serbia. The project is intended to contribute to changing the system of values in Serbia and to the creation of a strategy for the new policy of facing the war past through education and building of capacities of the new generation of young leaders. The presentations took place in Belgrade, Niš and Novi Sad and were attended by young university students and young journalists. Jelačić spoke about the achievements of the ICTY, its key findings about crimes, its contributions to the international humanitarian and criminal law, work with witnesses, and the challenges the ICTY faced in completing its mission. The students asked many questions, which provoked a lively debate.

The New Policy School is a project implemented by the Youth Initiative for Human Rights.

The Tribunal held a three-day advocacy training session with judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers from across BiH, as part of the War Crimes Justice Project (WCJP).

The goal of the training was to provide judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers with the additional skills to conduct opening statements, direct and cross examinations of witnesses and closing arguments. The training took place in cooperation with the Centres for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training of the Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska, and also with the criminal defence section of the Sector for Judicial Bodies of the BiH Ministry of Justice (OKO). This was the first advocacy training of the kind to be held in the region as part of the WCJP. The training was led by ICTY Judge Bakone Justice Moloto, Prosecutor Paul Rogers and Defence Counsel Vasvija Vidović from the Association of Defence Counsel practicing before the ICTY.

This training was organised by the War Crimes Justice Project

A two-day training session for judges and prosecutors from County Courts and Prosecutor Offices in Osijek, Slavonski Brod and Vukovar,  was held at the Judicial Academy in Osijek, Eastern Croatia as part of the War Crimes Justice Project. The goal of the training was to share the Tribunal’s institutional knowledge and specialised skills with jurisdictions in the region, thereby enhancing their capacity to handle complex war crimes cases. It was intended to strengthen the ability of the Tribunal’s local counterparts to locate and seek ICTY information and materials relevant to their work and covered the use of databases such as the website, the ICTY Court Records Database and the Appeals Chamber’s Case Law Research Tool.

This training was organised by the War Crimes Justice Project

Outreach hosted a group of Lebanese NGO representatives who were visiting The Hague to get acquainted with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. During one day at the ICTY the visitors heard presentations on the mandate, achievements and completion strategy of the Tribunal, investigations and raising charges against the accused and presentation of evidence on appeal and the impact ICTY has on the region of the former Yugoslavia. The group was interested in experiences ICTY Outreach Programme had with dealing with communities in the former Yugoslavia. The group also attended a Karadžić hearing.

This visit was organised by the Outreach Programme of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Outreach delivered a donation of legal journals to the Law Faculty libraries of the Universities of Pristina and Prizren, as well as to the Centre for Human Rights, which is located at the University of Pristina.

The donation includes a large number of copies of the Foreign Policy Magazine, the Journal of International Affairs, the Magazine of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Human Rights and Criminal Law quarterlies, as well as the ICTY Judicial Reports and other legal manuals and books on legal theory and practice.
This is the second time PFO organizes donation of legal journals to the Law Faculty and Human Rights Centre of Pristina University. The first donation was made on 6 August 2010.

This donation was organised by ICTY’s Outreach Programme

Outreach hosted a group of Serbian students from the Faculty of Political sciences in Belgrade for a one day visit, as part of their study visit to institutions of international justice based in The Hague. The group was informed about the history of the Tribunal, its influence on the system of international criminal justice and local judiciaries int eh former Yugoslavia, the completion strategy and the cases currently in trial or awaiting the Appeal Chamber’s decision. A Senior Trial Attorney from the Office of the Prosecutor gave a presentation about the major cases the Tribunal has dealt with. The group rounded up the visit by attending hearings in the Karadžić and Šešelj trials.

This visit was organised by Students Association of the Faculty of Political Sciences

A two day training session for prosecutors and legal advisers from various cantonal prosecutor’s offices was held in Sarajevo.

The training was designed to enhance the capacity in the region to handle complex war crimes cases, and consitituted one component of the War Crimes Justice Project’s comprehensive effort to assist with the transfer of the Tribunal’s institutional knowledge and specialised skills to jurisdictions in the region. The training took place at the Centre for Judicial and Prosecutorial Training of the Federation of BiH (CEST) in Sarajevo.

The training strengthened the ability of the Tribunal’s local counterparts to locate and seek ICTY information and materials relevant to their work and covered the use of the website, the ICTY Court Records Database and the Appeals Chambers Case Law Research Tool. It also covered making requests to the ICTY for legal assistance and for variation of protective measures under the Tribunal’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence.

This training was conducted as part of the War Crimes Justice Project

Conference on the Legacy of the ICTY

An international conference on the ICTY legacy was held at the Zagreb Law Faculty. The conference gathered over one hundred legal professionals and speakers included, among others, ICTY Judge Howard Morrison and Croatian President Ivo Josipović.

The conference dealt with the impact that the ICTY had on defining international crimes in Croatian criminal law, cooperation of states with the Tribunal and the ICTY’s social legacy. During that last session findings of the public opinion survey on the ICTY conducted in Croatia in December 2010 were presented.

The conference was organised by Belgrade Human Rights Centre in cooperation with Zagreb Law Faculty and the Croatian Society for European Criminal Law, with the support of ICTY Outreach Programme

A training session for Montenegrin legal professionals was held as part of the War Crimes Justice Project (WCJP).

The training was designed to strengthen the capacity in the region to handle complex war crimes cases, and is carried out as part of the War Crimes Justice Project’s transfer of the Tribunal’s institutional knowledge and specialised skills legal professionals in the region. The training took place at the OSCE Mission in Podgorica.

The training was intended to enable Tribunal’s local counterparts to locate and search ICTY information and materials relevant to their work and covered the use of the website, the ICTY Court Records Database and the Appeals Chambers Case Law Research Tool. The training also covered information on how to make requests to the ICTY for legal assistance and for variation of protective measures according to Tribunal’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence.

This training was conducted as part of the War Crimes Justice Project

> 8 legal professionals from the Higher Court in Podgorica and Bijelo Polje and the Basic and Special Prosecutors Offices in Podgorica

ICTY Outreach inaugurated regular monthly coordination NGO meetings to be held throughout the region.

The first meeting was held with representatives of Serbian NGOs via video-link from The Hague. The meeting was chaired by Acting Head of Outreach. The participants discussed the new Outreach strategy and present and future cooperation between the ICTY’s Belgrade Field office and local NGOs.

Similar meetings with Croatian, Bosnian and Kosovan NGOs ensued in the following days. Outreach plans to hold such meetings with NGOs on a monthly basis.

This meeting was organised by ICTY’s Outreach Programme

ICTY hosted a group of 15 war crimes trial monitors and journalists from Croatia for a study visit. The aim of the visit was to cover the closing arguments in the Prlić et al. case and to provide the participants with a comprehensive picture of the work and achievements of the ICTY and challenges it has faced during its existance.

The participants were welcomed by the Registrar and  later followed a wide range of presentations dealing with, among other topics, media coverage of war crimes, finding information about the ICTY, command responsibilty and joint criminal enterprise, ICTY’s Detention Unit. The group attended the weekly press briefing and had an informal meeting with the Prosecutor. Overall, the presentations offered a useful insight into the work of the Tribunal, which was well appreciated by both the monitors and the journalists.

This study visit was organised by Croatian NGO Documenta

The ICTY’s Outreach Programme welcomed the fourth generation of young professionals from the region of the former Yugoslavia as part of the Regional Internship Programme. This year seven young professionals will have a chance to acquire hands-on experience of legal and communications work in all three organs of the Tribunal.

The Regional Internship Programme was established in 2007 as a joint project between the Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) and the Outreach Programme. Interns from Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo take part in a five-month internship in The Hague, and a further three-month internship at their respective national war crimes courts/prosecutors’ offices or local institutions and organisations dealing with war crimes.
 

This internship programme is organised by Outreach Programme and Youth Initiative for Human Rights

> seven young professionals from Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo

The Association of Women of Srebrenica organised a round table titled “Transitional Justice in Bosnia and Herzegovina, War Crimes Prosecutions, Exhumations and Identifications” in Tuzla. The speakers included representatives of the BiH office of the Prosecutor, ICTY, ICMP and members of victims’ families. Howard Tucker, head of the ICTY office in Sarajevo, spoke about the envisaged role and functioning of the residual mechanism of the Tribunals.

This event was organized by the Association of Women of Srebrenica

Some 20 judges, mainly from appellate courts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, participated in the meeting with Judge Fausto Pocar and Judge Carmel Agius from the ICTY. Judges from Kosovo also attended the meeting. Participants discussed topics including the protection of witnesses and victims, the definition of “civilians” in war crimes cases and the role of appellate judges in reviewing cases.

The media carried Judge Pocar’s statement that the regional judiciaries had already shown that they were impartial and functioning and that war crimes prosecution would continue after the dissolution of the ICTY.

 This event was organised by the War Crime Justice Project

17 January, The Hague/ Zagreb

Some 30 students of fourth and fifth year of law at Zagreb University attended 3 presentations via a video-link with the Hague. The students were given an overview of the cases currently ongoing at the ICTY, followed by a presentation on the ICTY and the applicable law presented by Judge Trechsel. Finally, they were introduced to major aspects of the Tribunal’s legacy. The presentations were well received and were followed by many questions.

This event was organized by Field Office Zagreb

Judges and prosecutors from various county courts in Croatia participated in the two-day training for legal professionals. The goal of the training was to transfer the Tribunal’s institutional knowledge and specialised skills to jurisdictions in the region, thereby enhancing their capacity to handle complex war crimes cases.

The participants learnt how to locate and seek ICTY information and materials relevant to their work as well as how to use databases such as the website, the ICTY Court Records Database and the Appeals Chambers Case Law Research Tool. They were also trained on how to make requests to the ICTY for legal assistance and for variation of protective measures under the Tribunal’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence.

This event was organised by the War Crime Justice Project