Date: 22.07.2009
Time: 12:00
Registry and Chambers:
Nerma Jelačić, Spokesperson for Registry and Chambers, made the following statement:
I will go straight to courtroom activities:
The judgement in the contempt case of Vojislav Šešelj will be rendered on Friday, 24 July at 14:15 in courtroom I.
Šešelj is charged with contempt of the Tribunal for disclosing the name and other personal details of three protected witnesses in his war crimes trial before the Tribunal. He is alleged to have authored a book in which the information was published, along with other material such as excerpts of the written statement of one of these witnesses, the disclosure of which was prohibited.
Yesterday, the Appeals hearing in the case of Dragomir Milošević was held. Milošević was convicted and sentenced to 33 years’ imprisonment for the terror, murder and inhumane acts committed against the civilian population of Sarajevo during a campaign of sniping and shelling of the city. The Prosecution has asked for a sentence of life imprisonment to be imposed on appeal and Milošević seeks an acquittal on all charges.
As for provisional release issues:
In the Popović and others case, on Monday, the Appeals Chamber overturned the Trial Chamber’s decision to grant Milan Gvero provisional release during the court’s summer recess.
In the Prlić and others case, also on Monday, the Appeals Chamber dismissed the Prosecution’s appeal against the Trial Chamber’s decision to grant Berislav Pušić provisional release during summer recess.
Last Friday the Trial Chamber granted Momčilo Perišić’s request for temporary provisional release to Serbia also during the recess.
The Trial Chamber remains seized with Jovica Stanišić’s request to be granted temporary provisional release during the recess.
Lastly, yesterday, Milan Lukić filed a request for temporary provisional release on humanitarian grounds for up to five days to visit his ailing mother and father in Serbia.
As for the schedule for the remainder of the week:
A status conference will be held tomorrow in the case of Radovan Karadžić at 10:00 in courtroom I.
Hearings in the case of Gotovina and others were cancelled for today but will continue tomorrow afternoon at 14:15 in courtroom I and Friday at 9:00 in courtroom III.
Also the trial of Momčilo Perišić will continue tomorrow at 9:00 in courtroom II and Friday at 9:00 in courtroom I.
Finally, a reminder that the court’s summer recess begins on Monday with no hearings scheduled to be held from 27 July until 14 August. The Tribunal will continue to carry out day-to-day activities during this period. The next press briefing will take place on Wednesday, 19 August.
Office of the Prosecutor:
Olga Kavran, Spokesperson for the Office of the Prosecutor, made no statement.
Questions:
Asked whether the Prosecution is in a position to take any further measures regarding the crimes, such as rape, which Milan and Sredoje Lukić were not charged with but for which there is substantial evidence, Olga Kavran responded that the Prosecution is not in a position to proceed on any new charges against the Accused, explaining that the OTP’s request to include rape charges in the indictment was rejected by the Trial Chamber before the trial began. The Prosecution is no longer in a position to raise new indictments in line with the completion strategy, but there is nothing to prevent the local jurisdictions from trying the Accused or anyone else for crimes they have not been tried for at the ICTY, she concluded.