| Press Advisory |
|
| (Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document) |
|
The Hague, 4 October 2011
JKE/MOW/PA461e
Jelena Rašić trial to begin on 9 January 2012
 |
| Jelena Rašić |
The trial of Jelena Rašić, charged with contempt of court committed during the trial of Milan and Sredoje Lukić, has been scheduled to commence on Monday 9 January 2012.
Rašić, member of the Milan Lukić Defence team, is charged with five counts of contempt of the Tribunal. The indictment alleges that in October 2008, the accused knowingly and willingly interfered with the Tribunal’s administration of justice in that she procured a false witness statement from Zuhdija Tabaković from Višegrad in exchange for €1,000 in cash.
In the indictment, it is alleged that Rasić approached Tabaković with a request to sign a pre-written statement even though he did not witness the events nor did he have any knowledge of the events described in the statement. It is alleged that once Tabaković signed the statement and the signature was certified at the Novi Grad Municipality building in Sarajevo, Rasić gave Tabaković an envelope containing 1,000 euros and stated he would be paid more money once he testified. The statement was then submitted to the Chamber as evidence in November 2008 and was provided to OTP in full in January 2009.
During the same meeting, it is alleged that Rasić presented Tabaković with two other pre-written statements asking him to find two other men to sign the false statements and testify in return for a payment of 1,000 Euros. The indictment alleges that Tabaković found two men willing to sign and testify to the false statements and that on 23 October 2008, Rasić met the two men and accompanied them to the Novi Grad Municipality building where she completed the statements. Once their signatures were certified, it is alleged that the two men were given envelopes containing money by an associate of Rasić.
Zuhdija Tabaković was convicted of Contempt of the Tribunal on 15 March 2010 and was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment.
The indictment against Rasić was filed confidentially on 9 July 2010 and made public on 22 September 2010.
Rasić was transferred to the seat of the Tribunal on 20 September 2010 and at her initial appearance on 22 September 2010, pleaded not guilty to all five counts of contempt. Rasić was granted provisional release on 12 November 2010 pending the start of trial.
* * *
Click here for the full text of the indictment
Courtroom proceedings can be followed on the Tribunal’s website
*****
International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
For more information, please contact our Media Office in The Hague
Tel.: +31-70-512-8752; 512-5343; 512-5356 Fax: +31-70-512-5355 - Email: press [at] icty.org ()
Follow ICTY on Twitter and Youtube