Case No. IT-97-25/1-I

CONSIDERING the Statute of the Tribunal as adopted by the Security Council under Resolution 827 (1993), and in particular Article 21 thereof;

CONSIDERING the Rules of Procedure and Evidence (hereinafter "the Rules") as adopted by the Tribunal on 11 February 1994, as subsequently amended, and in particular Rules 44 and 45 thereof;

CONSIDERING the Directive on Assignment of Defence Counsel (hereinafter "the Directive"), as adopted by the Tribunal on 28 July 1994, as subsequently amended, and in particular, Articles 6, 8, 10, and 11(B) thereof;

CONSIDERING that Mitar Rasevic (hereinafter "the accused") was transferred to the seat of the Tribunal on 15 August 2003 and that his initial appearance pursuant to Rule 62 of the Rules is scheduled for 18 August 2003;

CONSIDERING that in accordance with Article 21 of the Statute, an accused has the right to be assigned legal assistance in any case where the interests of justice so require, without payment if the accused does not have sufficient means to remunerate counsel;

CONSIDERING that Mr. Branko Lukic, attorney at law from Doboj, Republika Srpska, has informed the Registry that he consents to representing the accused as counsel on a temporary basis during the aforementioned initial appearance;

CONSIDERING that Mr. Lukic meets the requirements of the Rule 45 list of counsel who are eligible to be considered for assignment of counsel, and that there are no conflicts of interest;

NOTING that article 20 of the Directive states that:

Where the assignment of counsel is withdrawn by the Registrar or where the services of assigned counsel are discontinued, the counsel assigned may not withdraw from acting until either a replacement counsel has been provided by the Tribunal or by the suspect or accused, or the suspect or accused has declared his intention in writing to conduct his own defence.

DECIDES pursuant to Article 11(B) of the Directive to assign Mr. Branko Lukic as counsel to the accused on a temporary basis for the purpose of representing him during the initial appearance on 18 August 2003 or until such time that permanent counsel is assigned.

Hans Holthuis
Registrar

Dated this eighteenth day of August 2003

At The Hague
The Netherlands