| Press Release | TRIBUNAL |
(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)
Trial Chamber Judgement in the case of Zdravko Tolimir to be rendered on 12 December 2012
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| Zdravko Tolimir |
The Trial Chamber Judgement in the case of Zdravko Tolimir, former high ranking official of the Bosnian Serb Army (VRS) charged with crimes committed in Srebrenica and Žepa in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, is scheduled to be rendered on Wednesday, 12 December 2012 at 15:00 in Courtroom I.
Tolimir is charged with genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war committed between July and November 1995 against Bosnian Muslims in Srebrenica and Žepa.
During the period relevant to the indictment, Tolimir was the Assistant Commander for Intelligence and Security of the Main Staff of the VRS. In this position, Zdravko Tolimir was one of seven Assistant Commanders who reported directly to the Commander of the Main Staff of the VRS, Ratko Mladić.
The indictment alleges that Tolimir committed genocide when more than 7,000 Muslim men and boys from Srebrenica were summarily executed.
He is charged with involvement in the murder of Bosnian Muslim prisoners temporarily held in various locations in the areas of Bratunac and Zvornik following the fall of the Srebrenica enclave. Among more than a dozen incidents of large-scale murder, the indictment alleges that Tolimir supervised the VRS detachment that summarily executed more than 1,700 Muslim men and boys at the Branjevo Military Farm and the Pilica Cultural Centre.
The Prosecution alleges that Tolimir was a member of criminal enterprises to murder able-bodied men and to forcibly remove the Muslim population from Srebrenica and Žepa. Among other alleged members of these criminal enterprises were Vujadin Popović, Radivoje Miletić, Milan Gvero, Vinko Pandurević, Ljubiša Beara, Drago Nikolić and Ljubomir Borovčanin.
The initial indictment against Tolimir was confirmed on 10 February 2005 and made public on 25 February 2005. He was arrested on 31 May 2007 and transferred into the custody of the Tribunal on 1 June 2007. The trial commenced on 26 February 2010. The Prosecution completed the presentation of its evidence on 17 January 2012, after calling a total of 126 witnesses. The Defence case lasted from 23 January until 21 February 2012, after calling four witnesses. The closing arguments took place from 21 until 23 August 2012.
Since its establishment, the Tribunal has indicted 161 persons for serious violations of humanitarian law committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2001. Proceedings against 126 have been concluded. Proceedings are currently ongoing for 35 accused.
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The Trial Judgement will be broadcast live on the Tribunal’s website
The Spokesperson for Registry and Chambers, Magdalena Spalińska, can be reached on
+31 (0)6 5127 1242 or +31(0)70 512 5066 and spalinska [at] un.org
For further information please call the Media Office at +31 (70) 512-8752 or -5343 or -5356.
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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 - Email: press [at] icty.org ()
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