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ICTY Weekly Press Briefing - 10th Jan 2001

ICTY Press Briefing - 10 January 2001

Please
note that this is not a verbatim transcript of the Press Briefing. It is merely
a summary.



ICTY
Weekly Press Briefing

Date: 10 January 2001

Time: 11:30 a.m.


REGISTRY
AND CHAMBERS

Christian
Chartier, Head of Public Information Services, made the following statement:


Good
morning ladies and gentlemen,


Let
me open this Press Conference by confirming on behalf of Judge Claude Jorda,
President of the Tribunal, that Ms. Biljana Plavsic, having been informed that
she was the object of a sealed indictment confirmed by a Judge on 7 April 2000,
has surrendered voluntarily to the Tribunal this morning.


The
President has issued an order assigning the case of Ms. Plavsic to the Trial
Chamber III, presided over by Judge Richard May, who has decided to hold the
initial appearance tomorrow, Thursday 11 January 2000 at 11 a.m. in Courtroom
I.


The
President notes with satisfaction that the surrender of Ms. Plavsic constitutes
an additional step towards having all accused brought before the Tribunal.


 


OFFICE
OF THE PROSECUTOR (OTP)

Prosecutor Del Ponte made the following statement:


Biljana
Plavsic surrendered voluntarily by arrangement to the International Tribunal
in The Hague today, having been advised of the existence of an indictment against
her and an outstanding warrant for her arrest. She flew to the Netherlands from
Banja Luka, and is now in the Tribunal’s custody.


Biljana
Plavsic, formerly a member of the Presidency of the so-called Serbian Republic
of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and member of the Supreme Command of the Bosnian
Serb armed forces, is indicted for genocide, crimes against humanity, violations
of the laws and customs of war, and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions
in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1991 and 1992. The indictment, issued under seal
on 7 April 2000, alleges inter alia that she committed these crimes along
with Momcilo Krajisnik, who is also currently in the Tribunal’s custody.


An
initial appearance before a Trial Chamber is expected to take place on Thursday
11 January, and it will thereafter be the Prosecutor’s intention to apply
to the Chamber to have Biljana Plavsic and Momcilo Krajisnik tried jointly.


The
Prosecutor considers that it is the best possible outcome for Mrs. Plavsic to
have surrendered herself to the Tribunal as she has chosen to do, and calls
upon Radovan Karadzic, Ratko Mladic and all other persons similarly indicted
to adopt the same course.


*****