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Press Release . Communiqué de presse
(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)
The Hague, 7 September 2001
CC/ P.I.S./ 618-e
THREE TRIALS TO BEGIN ON MONDAY 10 SEPTEMBER BEFORE NEWLY COMPOSED TRIAL CHAMBERS
On Monday 10 September, at 9.30 a.m., the Judges’ Chambers of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia will, for the first time in its history, begin three trials on the same day.
Seven accused will be put on trial: Mladen Naletilic and Vinko Martinovic ("Tuta & Stela"), Mitar Vasiljevic ("Visegrad"), Milan Simic, Blagoje Simic, Miroslav Tadic and Simo Zaric ("Bosanski Samac"). Additionally, there are three more accused whose joint trial is currently on-going (Dusko Sikirica, Damir Dosen and Dragan Kolundzija, "Keraterm
camp"). The new trials will reduce to fifteen the number of accused whose cases are at the pre-trial stage.
Moreover, six accused are currently awaiting judgement by a Trial Chamber, three accused are awaiting adjustment of their sentences by a Trial Chamber, while twelve are at the appeals stage (with five awaiting judgement, and seven whose appeal hearings will be heard in due course).
This expediency in hearing pending cases is the result of, among other factors, the appointment of six ad litem Judges. As recently pointed out by Judge Claude Jorda, President of the International Tribunal : "the appointment of the ad litem Judges is a significant turning point in that it will allow the Trial Chambers to double their judgement capacity to six
simultaneous trials by the end of January 2002" (see Press Releases 596, 607 and 614). The appointment to the Appeals Chambers of two additional Judges will also enhance the judgement capacity of the Appeals Chamber (see Press Release 603).
Following the ceremony on Thursday 6 September, during which the six newly appointed ad litem Judges made their solemn declaration, the President of the Tribunal, in consultation with the Judges of the Tribunal and the Presiding Judges of Trial Chambers I and II, has assigned the Judges and the cases to the following Chambers:
The Prosecutor v. Vinko Martinovic & Mladen Naletilic : Trial Chamber I, Section A, consisting of Judge Liu Daqun (Presiding, China), Judge Maureen Harding Clark (Ireland) and Judge Fatoumata Diarra (Mali).
The Prosecutor v. Mitar Vasiljevic : Trail Chamber II, Section A, consisting of Judge David Hunt (Presiding, Australia), Judge Ivana Janů (Czech Republic) and Judge Chikako Taya (Japan).
The Prosecutor v. Milan Simic, Blagoje Simic, Miroslav Tadic and Simo Zaric: Trial Chamber II, Section B, consisting of Judge Florence Mumba (Presiding, Zambia), Judge Amarjeet Singh (Singapore) and Judge Sharon Williams (Canada).
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