Date: 28.05.2014
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Registry and Chambers:
Magdalena Spalińska, Spokesperson for Registry and Chambers, made the following statement:
Good afternoon,
I’ll start with some developments in the Tribunal’s ongoing cases. In the case of Radovan Karadžić, the Chamber last week denied the Accused’s motion to hold a separate sentencing judgement in the event that a conviction is handed down in this case. The Chamber found no reason to depart from the Tribunal’s usual practice of determining the sentence together with a conviction, if any.
In the case of Jadranko Prlić and others, a letter was made public last week in which Slobodan Praljak informed President Meron that he will represent himself as of 28 April. In the letter originally filed in April, Praljak also requested that the Appeals Chamber halt proceedings until he receives a B/C/S translation of all relevant filings in his case.
On 22 August 2012 the Registrar concluded that Praljak was fully able to remunerate counsel and ordered him to reimburse the Tribunal for all legal aid funds. On 13 May 2014, the Appeals Chamber granted the Registrar’s application of 20 January to recover these funds and ordered Praljak to reimburse the Tribunal within 90 days. A former high-ranking official from the wartime Croat entity of Herceg-Bosna, Praljak was sentenced on 29 May 2013 to 20 years’ imprisonment.
Last Wednesday, 21 May, the Appeals Chamber of the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT) denied the appeal by Radovan Stanković of a confidential decision of the Tribunal’s Referral Bench dismissing Stanković's request of 21 January 2013 to return his case to the ICTY in order to "conduct a trial to establish the truth".
Stanković’s case was transferred to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) by the Tribunal in 2005 and he was subsequently sentenced by the Appellate Panel of the BiH Court to 20 years' imprisonment for crimes in Foča. The Appeals Chamber of the Mechanism concluded that the Referral Bench correctly considered it would be contrary to the Rule 11bis of the Tribunal’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence to revoke a referral order after the legal proceedings in the State concerned have been completed.
Looking forward to next week, on Thursday, 5 June, President Meron will present the Tribunal’s bi-annual completion strategy report to the UN Security Council. The President will also take this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the progress made by the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals. His address will be followed by that of the Tribunal’s Prosecutor, Serge Brammertz and MICT Prosecutor Hassan Jallow. The President’s and Prosecutors’ addresses will be sent to the media and posted online shortly after the delivery of the speeches.
Finally, in the case of Ratko Mladić, the Chamber is currently hearing the testimony of Slavko Gengo, a former member of the Republika Srpska Army in the area of Sarajevo. He is the sixth witness to testify on behalf of the Defence.
Questions:
No questions were asked.