| Press Release |
REGISTRY
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| (Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document) |
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The Hague, 19 December 2007
CVO/MOW/1209e
Rasim Delić placed under House arrest
Judge Schomburg, Duty Judge, today issued an order requesting the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina to place Rasim Delić, currently on provisional release from ICTY custody, under house arrest at his residence with the permanent surveillance by competent authorities. The Judge further ordered that the accused be released only for the purposes of medical treatment if needed. The Judge issued a stern warning to Rasim Delić that any further infringement of the conditions of provisional release – however slight – will be taken together with this violation, if need be, for any reconsideration of Delić’s provisional release.
The order grants in part the Prosecution’s motion dated 14 December 2007 to arrest the accused. In its motion, the OTP argued that Rasim Delić breached the terms of his provisional release stipulating that he should not discuss his case with anyone other than his defence counsel. In its order the Duty Judge stated that he was satisfied that such a discussion did occur during Delić’s meeting with Haris Silajdžić, member of the Federation of BiH Presidency.
Rasim Delić was granted temporary provisional release in November 2007 to return to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 11 December 2007 until 11 January 2008. In its decision to grant provisional release, the Trial Chamber notes, amongst other points, that the government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has issued guarantees that Delić will comply with all orders issued by the Trial Chamber. It further notes the personal guarantee by the accused to return to the custody of the ICTY before the resumption of his trial and to generally comply with any order issued by the Trial Chamber.
Delić was the Commander of the Main Staff of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina (ABiH). The indictment against him alleges that as Commander of the Main Staff he had overall authority and responsibility for the functioning of the ABiH and is therefore criminally responsible for acts and omissions carried out by his subordinates. The trial against Delić began on 9 July 2007 and the Prosecution is expected to complete its case-in-chief by early next year.
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The full text of the decision can be found on the Tribunal’s website at:
http://www.icty.org/x/cases/delic/tdec/en/071219.pdf
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
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