| Press Advisory |
|
| (Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document) |
|
The Hague, 02 November 2011
CT/MOW/PA471e
Vojislav Šešelj Contempt of the Tribunal Further Initial Appearance on 4 November 2011
 |
| Vojislav Šešelj |
A further Initial Appearance in the third contempt of court case of Vojislav Šešelj has been scheduled to be held on Friday, 4 November 2011 at 15:00 in Courtroom I, before Judge Burton Hall.
Vojislav Šešelj, the leader of the Serb Radical Party currently standing trial at the Tribunal for alleged war crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Vojvodina in Serbia between 1991 and 1994, is accused offailing to remove confidential information from his personal website in violation of orders of a Chamber.
The confidential information published by Šešelj on his website includes four books authored by the Accused and five confidential filings submitted by him as part of his main trial and two previous trials for contempt of court. These books and filings reveal confidential information about a number of protected witnesses who testified in his main trial before the Tribunal for alleged war crimes.
This is the third time that Šešelj has been charged with contempt of the Tribunal. The previous charges relate to two of the four books listed in the latest indictment. On 19 May 2010 the Appeals Chamber confirmed the Trial Chamber’s finding that Šešelj was guilty of contempt for disclosing the personal details of protected witnesses in a book he authored and affirmed his sentence of 15 months’ imprisonment. Šešelj was ordered to remove the book from his website. In February 2010 contempt proceedings were initiated against Šešelj for a second time for disclosing the personal details of protected witnesses in a book he authored and the Trial Chamber sentenced him to 18 months’ imprisonment on 31 October 2011.
The Tribunal regards the integrity of witnesses and confidential materials as essential elements in the judicial process. Several persons who have attempted to interfere with this process by revealing confidential information have been prosecuted and convicted.
*****
*****
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