On 24 March 2017, Interpol notified the Tribunal that it has issued red notices in relation to pending arrest warrants in the Jojić et al. contempt case before the Tribunal. The red notices, which seek the location and arrest of the accused Petar Jojić, Jovo Ostojić and Vjerica Radeta, were issued by Interpol at the request of the Tribunal’s Registry, following an order of Trial Chamber I. The red notices are effective as of 16 March 2017.
Petar Jojić, Jovo Ostojić and Vjerica Radeta have been charged with contempt of court for allegedly having threatened, intimidated, offered bribes to, or otherwise interfered with two witnesses in the trial against Vojislav Šešelj and a related contempt case against him.
Since 19 January 2015, arrest warrants and orders for surrender of the accused have been pending execution by Serbia. Following Serbia’s continued non-compliance with its obligations to cooperate with the Tribunal under Article 29 of the ICTY Statute, Trial Chamber I issued international arrest warrants on 5 October 2016, which were issued publicly or in public redacted version on 29 November 2016.
The Tribunal has also repeatedly raised the matter with the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly. Most recently, in a letter dated 1 March 2017, President Agius called upon the UN Security Council to ensure accountability, to prevent impunity, and to take the measures necessary to secure Serbia’s compliance with the Tribunal’s orders, consistent with its obligations, and appealed to Member States to secure the arrest and transfer of the accused.
The red notices issued by Interpol further underscore the urgency of transferring the accused to the Tribunal in order to complete the pending case in a fair and expeditious manner before the Tribunal closes its doors at the end of 2017.