Please note that this is not a verbatim transcript of the Press Briefing. It is merely a summary.

ICTY Weekly Press Briefing
Date: 12 January 2000
Time: 11:30 a.m.

REGISTRY AND CHAMBERS
Jim Landale, Spokesman for Registry and Chambers, made the following statement:

Firstly, on Friday at 9.00a.m. in Courtroom III, the Judgement and sentencing will be rendered in the Kupreskic and others case. Also on Friday at 11.00, the Appeals Chamber will begin its hearing on the appeal against sentencing in the Tadic case.

Secondly, on the 14 December during an open status conference the trial date for the Kunarac and Kovac trial was rescheduled for 20 March, this year. This followed a motion from Kovac’s defense, requesting more time to prepare his case.

Finally, you should all have received the press release and short biography for Professor Fausto Pocar, who has been appointed to succeed Judge Cassese, and is due to take up his responsibilities on 1 February.

OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR
Paul Risley, Spokesman for the Office of the Prosecutor, made the following statement:

The Prosecutor is in Paris today. She arrived yesterday and held meetings with Defence Minister Alain Richard and Foreign Affairs Minister Hubert Vedrine. Today she held a meeting with Justice Minister Elisabeth Guigou.

She is expected back in The Hague this evening.

Next Wednesday she will address the North Atlantic Council, of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and will hold a meeting with the Security-General of NATO, Lord Robertson.

QUESTIONS:

• Asked for details of the Prosecutor’s meeting with Ministers Richard and Vedrine, Risley replied that the Tribunal enjoyed good relations with the French Government. He added that this was a working meeting to allow the Prosecutor to meet these individuals and also to discuss ongoing matters of investigation. A press briefing was also held yesterday, he said, adding that he was not aware that anything specific had been announced by the Ministers.

• Asked whether the visit to Paris was part of a tour, Risley replied that he expected in the coming weeks to announce similar visits by the Prosecutor to London, Washington and to Berlin.

• Asked whether there would soon be a visit to Croatia, Risley replied that there would not be as the Prosecutor had already accomplished a trip to the former Yugoslavia. He added however, that he suspected the Prosecutor would make a return visit to the region within the next six months.

• Asked for a schedule of the Prosecutor’s work on the Government Case in the Rwanda Tribunal, Risley replied that it was the Prosecutor’s intention to spend much of February in Arusha. It depended upon the scheduling of that case, he said.

• Asked whether the issue of no formal investigations into NATO would come up during the Prosecutor’s meetings in Brussels, Risley replied that during the meeting with the Council, she would give a prepared statement. She would also be able to take questions from the Ministers. It was likely that any and all matters of interest would come up during this meeting. He concluded that there would likely be a press conference for her and Lord Robertson either before or following this meeting.

• Asked whether it was true that the Prosecutor had promised Professor Mandel, an explanation concerning the material he had given to the Tribunal on NATO, Risley replied that the Prosecutor held meetings from time to time with various groups or individuals who were willing to bring information forward. As was always the policy, the Prosecutor could accept such documents during these meetings and take matters under review. Generally speaking the use of such material and any discussion was held in confidence. It would be unlikely for the Prosecutor to give any promises or guaranties to participants of the meetings. Nor would it be likely for the participants of the meetings to publicly look for such assurances.

• Asked whether there was any further information concerning a visit by Prime Minister Dodik, Risley replied that there was no information on this subject.

• Asked whether there was any further information concerning the proposed investigation in Croatia, Risley replied that there was not.

• Asked whether the delay in arranging a meeting with Prime Minister Dodik meant that no meeting would in fact take place, Risley replied that this was not the case and that the Tribunal was working with Prime Minister Dodik and his government to facilitate a meeting. He added that such a meeting was important for the Tribunal. He concluded that the Tribunal was working to see that, in the event that the Minister was able to travel to the Tribunal, the Prosecutor would be available to meet with him.

• Asked whether reports yesterday saying that Karadzic was in hiding near Pale had come from the Prosecutor, Risley replied that he believed this not to be the case.