Date: 30.10.2013
Time: 12:30
Registry and Chambers:
Magdalena Spalińska, Spokesperson for Registry and Chambers, made the following statement:
Good afternoon,
Yesterday, the Tribunal’s President and Prosecutor separately held meetings with representatives from two associations of victim organizations from Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the Association of Citizens “Mothers of Srebrenica and Zepa enclaves” and Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide. Discussions included issues of common interest and upcoming events.
Now for the latest developments in the cases.
The Chamber yesterday granted Radovan Karadžić an extra 25, of the requested 100, hours to present his case in relation to Count 1 in the indictment charging him with genocide in a number of municipalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Chamber stated that Karadžić had already presented a "substantial amount of evidence relevant to Count 1" and still has 67 hours left, in addition to the extra 25 granted.
On 2 August the Chamber denied Karadžić’s motion to sever count 1.The Chamber partially granted Karadžić’s motion for a suspension of the trial, allowing time to adjust preparations for the defence case on Count 1. Consequently, the trial restarted yesterday.
I will now move onto the courtroom activities.
In the trial of Radovan Karadžić, the Chamber is currently hearing testimony of Milenko Živanović former Commander of the Drina Corps of the Republika Srpska Army.He is testifying pursuant to a subpoena issued in April this year. This is the 175th witness in the Defence case. The trial is scheduled for the remainder of this week and next.
On 25 October Presiding Judge Orie in the case of Ratko Mladić informed that the trial is scheduled to sit for four days a week until the end of the Prosecution’s case. Today there is no hearing; however, the trial will continue tomorrow and Friday as scheduled.
In Outreach related news, this week the Outreach Programme is hosting a group of eight journalists from BiH, Serbia and Croatia who are on an intensive five-day study visit to the ICTY. This visit was organised in cooperation with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), a longstanding partner of the Outreach Programme working in the region of the former Yugoslavia. The visiting journalists are meeting senior officials from Chambers, Registry and the Office of the Prosecutor who will present the key functions of the three respective organs and provide the visitors with details about the workings and achievements of the Tribunal. The journalists will attend trials and will also have an opportunity to speak with the ICTY President and Prosecutor.
Finally, the Outreach Programme is organizing a two-day regional conference on November 26 and 27 to be held in Sarajevo marking the Tribunal’s twentieth anniversary. Discussions will centre around the Tribunal’s accomplishments and challenges; the mechanisms for reparations and victim and witness protection; and the future accessibility of the ICTY archive to the people of the former Yugoslavia. With an expected attendance of over 200 people, at least two-thirds of participants will be from the former Yugoslavia representing a diverse range of roles and identities, in addition to international experts and senior Tribunal staff. Also during the conference, the Tribunal’s President will attend meetings with victims associations.
Office of the Prosecutor:
Aleksandar Kontić, member of the Prosecutor’s Immediate Office, made the following statement:
Prosecutor Serge Brammertz will travel to Serbia next week and will have meetings in Belgrade from 4 though 6 November. The Prosecutor will meet with the Serbian Prime Minister, other members of the Serbian Government, the War Crimes Prosecutor of Serbia and representatives from the international community.
The Prosecutor’s meeting in Serbia is part of the preparation for his completion strategy report to the UN Security Council which is due later this year.
Questions:
No questions were asked.