Petar Jojić, Jovo Ostojić, and Vjerica Radeta, have been charged with contempt of the Tribunal 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.
An Order in Lieu of an Indictment for contempt was issued confidentially by the Trial Chamber on 5 December 2014. Warrants for the arrest of the three Accused were issued confidentially on 19 January 2015. Redacted versions of the Order in Lieu of Indictment and the arrest warrants were issued today by Trial Chamber I. According to this Order, Mr. Jojić and Ms. Radeta are members of Vojislav Šešelj’s defence team.
Rule 77 of the Tribunal’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence sets out that the Tribunal may hold in contempt those who ‘knowingly and wilfully interfere with its administration of justice’. The Tribunal regards the integrity of its proceedings and the safety of its witnesses as an essential element in the rule of law.