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Please
note that this is not a verbatim transcript of the Press Briefing. It is merely
a summary
ICTY Weekly Press
Briefing
Date: 12 September 2001
Time: 11:00 a.m.
REGISTRY AND CHAMBERS
Jim Landale,
Spokesman for Registry and Chambers, made the following statement:
As
you are all aware, Dragan Kolundzija entered a plea of guilty to one count of
persecution as a crime against humanity on 4 September 2001, as part of a plea
agreement with the prosecution, which was accepted by Trial Chamber III. In
return, the Prosecution agreed to drop the other four counts against Kolundzija
and to recommend to the Trial Chamber that they impose a sentence of not less
than three years and not more than five years.
We
have now received similar joint submissions with regard to the two other accused
in the case, Dusko Sikirica and Damir Dosen.
In
the submissions, the parties have agreed that the accused shall enter a plea
of guilty to Count 3 of the indictment, namely persecutions, a crime against
humanity. Upon acceptance by the Trial Chamber of the accused’s guilty pleas
to Count 3 of the Second Amended Indictment, the Prosecution will withdraw all
other outstanding counts against both men.
In
addition, the Prosecutor will recommend that the Trial Chamber impose a sentence
of not less than 10 years and not more than 17 years for Dusko Sikirica, and
not less than five years and not more than seven years for Damir Dosen. I should
point out that the Trial Chamber is not bound by these recommendations. A hearing
is scheduled for Wednesday, 19 September 2001 at 10.00 a.m.
Finally,
the Prosecutor and the accused agree that they will not appeal the sentences
imposed by the Trial Chamber if they fall within the ranges agreed by the parties.
Copies
of both of those submissions will be available after this briefing.
We
have received the written decision on Biljana Plavsic’s application for provisional
release.
We
also have copies the appeals briefs in the Kordic and Cerkez case, and copies
of the Prosecution motion for joinder of the Obrenovic, Blagojevic and Jokic
cases. Since these are relatively lengthy documents, they are available on request.
There will be
a status conference in the Hadzihasanovic, Alagic and Kubura case on 29 November
2001.
PROSECUTION
Florence Hartmann,
Spokeswoman for the Office of the Prosecutor, made no statement.
QUESTIONS:
Asked to confirm
that the Trial Chamber in the Sikirica and others case had yet to accept the
guilty pleas of Dusko Sikirica and Damir Dosen, Landale replied that this
was correct.
Asked whether
the Tribunal had taken any particular security measures since yesterday’s
attacks in America, Landale replied that the Tribunal did not discuss security
issues, it never had in the past and never would in the future, he said.
Asked what
the logic was behind the Prosecutor accepting guilty pleas in the Sikirica
and others case so close to the end of the trial, Hartmann replied that she
did not have an answer to this question as the OTP did not discuss these issues
publicly.
Asked for confirmation
of what the OTP had allegedly said to the media concerning Karadzic and his
contacts with the authorities of the Republika Srpska, Hartmann replied that
(as she had been saying for months concerning Karadzic and other fugitives),
Karazdic had made contact with officials in Banja Luka. She added, however,
that she could not give details or names of the people with whom Karadzic
was in contact.
Asked to confirm
what she did actually tell the media, Hartmann replied that she was asked
by one member of the media if the OTP had any tapes or physical evidence of
phone calls or conversations Karadzic had with Sarovic. She reiterated that
the OTP had information that there was contact between Karadzic and officals
in Banja Luka, but this was all she could say on the issue.
Asked to confirm
what she said in Belgrade last week concerning the whereabouts of Ratko Mladic,
Hartmann replied that among the 38 fugitives some were not staying in the
same place. She added that there were also some fugitives crossing borders,
from time to time going inside the territory of neighbouring states, for instance
Yugoslavia, as was the case for Karadzic and Mladic, she said.
Asked whether
the Republika Srpska had informed the Tribunal of the contact made between
them and Karadzic and whether there was any information concerning these contacts
for example the discussion of voluntary surrender, Hartmann replied that she
could not be precise on the OTP sources but that this information did not
come from officials in Banja Luka. The OTP had its own information, it was
the job of the OTP to have this kind of information and there was nothing
further to add, she concluded.
Asked whether
she had any additional information concerning Mr. Gotovina or whether the
Tribunal had any contacts with the Croatian authorities concerning his case,
Hartmann replied that the OTP expected Croatia to fulfill its obligations
to the Tribunal and to arrest fugitives including Mr. Gotovina and hand them
over to The Hague.
Asked whether
supporting materials had been handed over to the Croatian Government in the
Gotovina case and to clarify at what stage supporting materials to an indictment
would be given to the lawyers of an accused, whether it would be at the stage
that an accused surrendered themselves or before a surrender, Hartmann replied
that the OTP could not serve supporting material to anyone except to the official
defence counsel appointed to the accused once the accused was in the custody
of the Tribunal.
Asked whether
this also applied to the Croatian Government, Hartmann replied that the Croatian
Government had only been served with the indictment and the arrest warrant
in the Gotovina case.
Landale added
that it was quite clear under the rules of Procedure and evidence when disclosure
should take place.
Asked whether
there were any filings from the amicus curiae lawyers appointed to
Mr. Milosevic, Landale replied that he was unaware of any filings at this
point in time.
Asked had they
been in contact with Mr. Milosevic, Landale replied that he was unaware that
they had had any contact with Mr. Milosevic at this point in time.
Asked whether
Mr. Milosevic had had any visits over the last week, Landale replied that
he would check. He reiterated the fact that the Tribunal would not make an
announcement every time Mr. Milosevic had visitors. The Tribunal would not
do this for other indictees and would not for Mr. Milosevic.
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