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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: 22 September 1999
Time: 11:30 a.m.
REGISTRY
AND CHAMBERS
Jim Landale, Spokesman for Registry and Chambers, made the following announcements:
First, the sentencing
hearing on the additional counts in the Tadic case will be held on 15 October
at 10.00a.m. Judgement is due to be issued at a later date. As you know, the
Appeals Chamber found Tadic guilty of additional counts of grave breaches of
the Geneva conventions and violations of the laws and customs of war on 15 July
this year.
Trial Chamber
III ordered on 17 September 1999 that Dragan Kolundzija enter his plea to the
new charges contained in the amended indictment confirmed on 30 August at a
further initial appearance to be held at 27 September 1999 at 2 p.m. The Trial
Chamber is currently seised of a motion from the Prosecution to join the Kolundzija
case to the Kvocka and Others case.
Also a reminder
that Radomir Kovac will attend his further initial appearance this Friday, 24
September to plead to the additional charges in the 2nd amended indictment
confirmed on 3 September. This indictment joined the Kovac and Kunarac cases
together.
On 21 September,
Trial Chamber III in the Kordic and Cerkez case issued an order granting Croatias
motion for an extension of time to comply with the Trial Chambers Binding
Order for the production of documents, which was reinstated by the Trial
Chamber on 9 September of this year. The Trial Chamber ruled that good
cause had been shown and granted an extension of 30 days from that date
of the filing of the motion.
Also, copies of
are available of a request filed on 20 September by Zoran and Mirjan Kupreskic
for leave to appeal against the decision on the motions for provisional release
of 13 September.
And, we have copies
of the pre-trial brief for Milojica Kos in the Kvocka and others case, which
was filed on 20 September of this year.
Finally, that
the Kupreskic and others case is due to resume next Monday.
OFFICE OF THE
PROSECUTOR
Paul Risley, Spokesman for the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), made the following
announcements:
The OTP regretted
any traffic disruptions caused to citizens of the western portion of Mostar
yesterday during a necessary search of a suspected crime scene by ICTY investigators.
The search required the presence of armed escorts from SFOR. The Tribunal appreciated
the cooperation and assistance shown by SFOR, he added.
Yesterday the
Prosecutor met with the US Ambassador to The Hague, Cynthia Schneider. On Monday
the Prosecutor met with the French Ambassador, Bernard de Montferrand. She intends
to meet with other members of the International and Diplomatic community here
in The Hague soon, he said.
Last week, the
Prosecutor met with Minister Separovic, the Minister of Justice for Croatia.
The Prosecutor was pleased to learn that the Government of Croatia had no objection
to the transfer of Mladen Naletilic (Tuta) to The Hague, following his appeals
proceedings in Croatia, Risley said. However, despite the frank and pleasant
nature of the meeting with Minister Separovic, the Prosecutor informed the Minister
of Justice that Croatia remained in non-compliance with the Tribunal. A report
to that effect rested with the Security Council in New York. As pointed out
by the Deputy Prosecutor to several reporters at the end of last week, the only
way forward from this impasse was for Croatia to comply with the requests and
orders of this Tribunal, Risley concluded.
QUESTIONS:
Asked about
the visit by the Commander of SFOR, General Montgomery Meigs, to the Tribunal
today, Risley replied that General Meigs, was at the Tribunal today as a
courtesy call on the new Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte. It was not possible
to arrange interviews with the General, Risley concluded.
Asked whether
General Meigss visit was to discuss cooperation between SFOR and OTP,
Risley confirmed that it was.
Asked for
the Prosecutors opinion concerning Mary Robinsons suggestions
that the Tribunal should act on East Timor, Risley replied that the subject
had been raised. He added that the role of the existing International Tribunals
was clear, and any decision to expand the Tribunals rested with the Security
Council in conjunction with the Secretary-General. He concluded that although
the Prosecutor was understandably interested in the outcome of these discussions,
no public statement had been issued.
Asked whether
the Prosecutor planned to visit Bosnia soon, Risley replied that the Prosecutor
intended to visit the operational areas of both Tribunals as part of the process
of coming to terms with the scope of her new job. However, no dates had yet
been chosen. He added that Minister Separovic had extended an invitation to
the Prosecutor to visit Croatia, during their meeting in The Hague.
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