The Hague, 26 November 2014
As a part of the trial monitoring training programme, a group of eighteen representatives of Lebanese NGOs came today to a one-day study visit to the ICTY. The guests had the opportunity to speak with representatives of the Tribunal’s Court Support Services Section, Association of Defence Councils and the Communications Section. In addition, visitors also followed the hearing in the Mladić case and watched the documentary produced by the ICTY Outreach ‘Through their eyes: Witnesses to justice’.
The guests first met with the Court Officer Ljiljana Hellman and Outreach Officer Nenad Golčevski. During an extended question and answers session, the visitors posed various queries regarding the courtroom set-up and proceedings, procedures for submission of evidence and issues related to the budget and transparency of the Tribunal. They were also eager to learn more about the rights of the accused, the Detention Unit and the conditions there.
The second presentation was held by Helena Vranov Schoorl, Head of the Victims and Witnesses Support and Operations Unit. The visitors learned about the efforts the Tribunal makes in order to offer a safe and stress-free environment for the witnesses. Questions about protective measures were raised and the visitors learned that the witness’ testimony can be given in open, in private or in closed session. The guests were also informed that there is a variety of protective measures which can be used when it is deemed necessary not to disclose the identity of the witness, including testifying under a pseudonym, image distortion and voice distortion.
Chris Gosnell, representative of the Association of Defence Councils and Jill Coster van Voorhout, lecturer at Utrecht University, held the last presentation. The guests learned about various practices and procedures of the Tribunal, including the way the indictments are raised and the way the judges are selected.
The visit was organised by ICTY Outreach Programme in co-operation with the Outreach section of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.