Weekly Press Briefing - 23 November 2011

Date:  23.11.2011
Time: 12:00

Registry and Chambers:

Nerma Jelačić, Spokesperson for Registry and Chambers, made the following statement:

Good afternoon,

The Srebrenica component of the trial of Radovan Karadžić is expected to commence soon with the testimony of protected witness KDZ039 who will testify about his and his family’s flight to the UN base in Potočari following the takeover of Srebrenica in July 1995. He will testify about the executions that took place in Bratunac where he was detained and how he survived the mass execution at Orahovac. His testimony will start after the completion of the testimonies of protected witness KDZ456 and military expert Ewan Brown, which will conclude the municipalities component of the case.

Yesterday, the Trial Chamber denied Radovan Karadžić’s request to suspend the trial for a period of one month prior to the commencement of the Srebrenica component of the case. Among other things, the Chamber found that Prosecution had disclosed the bulk of the Srebrenica-related items to the Accused almost one year ago. The Chamber found it regrettable that Karadžić continues to raise the issue of resource-limitations as an obstacle to his ongoing trial preparation and stressed that as a self-represented accused, he bears the burden of managing his own case and the resources granted to him. The Chamber pointed out that he and his team have had sufficient time to organise themselves and prioritise and review the relevant portions of the material disclosed by the Prosecution. The Chamber however took this opportunity to remind the Prosecution of its obligation to provide the Accused with all relevant material in relation to its remaining witnesses as early as possible.

In the Stanišić and Župljanin trial, the Trial Chamber last Friday granted Mićo Stanišić provisional release during the upcoming winter recess from 19 December to 9 January 2012, having found that he does not pose a flight risk or a danger to any victims or witnesses. Proceedings in this case will resume on Monday, 5 December at 9:00 in Courtroom III with the testimony of one of the remaining witnesses testifying on behalf of Stojan Župljanin.

The start of trial in the contempt of the Tribunal case of Jelena Rašić has been postponed until Monday, 23 January 2012. Rašić, a former member of Milan Lukić’s Defence team, is charged with five counts of contempt of the Tribunal. The indictment alleges that in October 2008, Rašić knowingly and willingly interfered with the Tribunal’s administration of justice by obtaining a false witness statement from Zuhdija Tabaković from Višegrad in exchange for €1,000 in cash. The indictment against Rasić was filed confidentially on 9 July 2010 and made public on 22 September 2010. Rasić was transferred to the seat of the Tribunal on 20 September 2010 and at her initial appearance on 22 September 2010, she pleaded not guilty to all five counts of contempt. Rasić was granted provisional release on 12 November 2010 pending the start of trial. She is due to return to the DU by Friday, 20 January 2012.

Next Monday, the contempt of Tribunal trial of Dragomir Pećanac will commence at 15:15 in Courtroom III. It will be preceded by a pre-trial conference from 11:00 to 13:45. Pećanac, former Security and Intelligence Officer of the Main Staff of the Army of the Republika Srpska, is charged with contempt of the Tribunal for failing to comply with, or to show good cause why he could not comply with, a subpoena in which he was ordered to testify in the case of Zdravko Tolimir. At his further initial appearance held on 19 October 2011, Pećanac entered a plea of not guilty.

Proceedings in the trials of Haradinaj and others and Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović continue this week and next as scheduled.
   
In the re-trial of Ramush Haradinaj and others, the Chamber will this afternoon hear the resumption of the testimony of Witness 81, a former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army, who has been testifying since 21 November.

In the proceedings in the trial of Jovica Stanišić and Franko Simatović, a housekeeping session will be held this Thursday morning at 9:00 in Courtroom II to discuss outstanding issues pertaining to the running of the case.

Office of the Prosecutor:

Frederick Swinnen, Special Adviser to the Prosecutor, made no statement.

Questions:

Asked if the testimony of the first Srebrenica witness in the case of Karadžić was expected this afternoon, Jelačić said the witness could begin testimony this afternoon or tomorrow or next week depending on how things unfold in the courtroom. Asked if the delay was due to examination and cross examination delays, absence of a witness or other technical problems, Swinnen answered that it was the usual delay encountered with examinations and cross examinations in the courtroom. He explained that it was not due to an absence of a witness or technical problems.