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Please
note that this is not a verbatim transcript of the Press Briefing. It is merely
a summary.
ICTY Weekly
Press Briefing
Date: 17 February 1999
Time: 11:30 a.m.
REGISTRY AND
CHAMBERS
Christian Chartier, standing in for the ICTY Spokesman, began todays briefing
by making the following announcements:
In the Blaskic
case, please note that the testimony of the defendant will commence at 1.30
this afternoon instead of 2 p.m. as initially scheduled and announced last Tuesday.
In the Bosanski
Samac case, Trial Chamber III, presided over by Judge Richard May, considered
the motions for provisional release filed on 18 January by two defendants, namely
Simo Zaric and Miroslav Tadic. Two Decisions were issued on Monday 15 February,
both motions were denied. In keeping with the well established practice of the
Chambers on the conditions to be met by the accused for being granted provisional
release, the Judges considered that both accused had failed to establish
that exceptional circumstances exist to justify release.
Following a letter
by Mr. Luca Misetic, Defence Counsel for Anto Furundzija, the Registrar has
withdrawn the assignment of Mr. Misetic. In his letter, Mr. Misetic requested
that the accused indigent status be withdrawn. The Registrar accordingly terminated
the assignment of Mr. Misetic. However it is my understanding that Mr. Misetic
remains the accuseds Defence Counsel, engaged by the accused.
Finally, I would
like to advise you that the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Anna
Lindh, will visit the ICTY next week, on Tuesday 23 February, in order to sign
an Agreement on the Enforcement of Sentences. Sweden will then become the fourth
United Nations Member State to enter such an agreement, after Italy, Finland
and Norway. Mrs. Lindh will take this opportunity for holding discussions with
the Judges and the Office of the Prosecutor.
QUESTIONS:
Asked what
the status of the "Vukovar three" was now that the deferral hearing
deadline had passed, Chartier replied that he was not aware of any moves by
either side.
Asked whether
anything had happened on the motion submitted by Counsel for Anto Furundzija
(the post trial application for disqualification of the presiding judge),
Chartier said the matter was under consideration with no decision as yet.
Asked whether
an answer had been received from the Croatian government to the letter sent
by the Registrar regarding the transferral of Naletilic and Martinovic, Mr
Blewitt the Deputy Prosecutor said he had heard nothing.
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