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

ICTY Weekly Press Briefing
Date: 26 June 2002
Time: 12:30 p.m.

REGISTRY AND CHAMBERS

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

Good afternoon,

Tomorrow, Thursday 27 June, a diplomatic seminar is being held here at the Tribunal for members of the diplomatic community in The Hague. This event, the third of its kind to be held at the Tribunal, is aimed at updating the diplomatic missions on the work of the Tribunal, outlining the challenges that the court faces and stressing the importance that the cooperation and support of all States plays in the Tribunal’s work. Specifically, the seminar will focus on the ‘completion strategy’ that is being developed by the President, the Prosecutor and the Registrar.

This ‘completion strategy’ includes concentrating on the prosecution of the highest ranking political and military leaders, and the possibility in the future, under certain specific conditions, of the Tribunal deferring some of its mid and lower level cases to national authorities.

The President, Prosecutor and Registrar will all address the diplomatic representatives.

As you know, last week the President, Prosecutor and Deputy Registrar undertook a trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina to discuss possible deferrals of mid and lower level Tribunal cases to the national authorities. The delegation met with the High Representative, Lord Ashdown, politicians at all levels and from both Entities, as well as with Judges, Prosecutors and victims’ associations. The Tribunal is advocating the creation of a chamber within the State Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina to try war crimes cases, including those deferred by the Tribunal. In the course of the meetings, the delegation heard many different ideas and viewpoints, but I think that it is fair to say that the Tribunal’s position received broad support.

A number of you were unable to attend the Milosevic session this morning, so I’ll very briefly recap what was said. Judge May announced that hearings in the Milosevic case will continue until 26 July. There will then be a four-week break, during which time preparations can continue for the remaining sections of the trial. The Trial Chamber will then sit again from 26 August until Friday 6 September to hear the remainder of the Prosecution’s case on Kosovo. A pre-trial conference on the Bosnia and Croatia parts of case was tentatively scheduled for Friday 12 July at 2.30 p.m., however some difficulties with that date were raised by the Prosecution, so if it changes, we will let you know.

Finally, Judge May announced that, in light of the past and present illness of the accused, the Trial Chamber, pursuant to its powers under Rule 74 bis, orders that there be a full medical examination of the accused and instructs the Registry to make the necessary arrangements for a report to be submitted to the Trial Chamber by 17 July.

Finally, I’ve just been informed that the hearing in the Milosevic case is cancelled for tomorrow, Thursday 27 June, due to the illness of the accused. The hearings are scheduled to resume on Tuesday 2 July 2002 at 9 am in Courtroom 1.

In terms of court documents:

- On 18 June, we received the "Invitation to Registry to Comment on Defence Motion to Dismiss or For Alternative Relief" in the Krajisnik and Plavsic case.

- On 19 June, we received the "Prosecution’s Response to Krajisnik’s Renewed Motion for Provisional Release" in the Krajisnik and Plavsic case.

- On 20 June, we received the "Decision on Application for Leave to Appeal Against Judge Schomburg’s Decision on the Disqualification of a Judge Dated 3 May 2002" in the Brdanin and Talic case. A bench of the Appeals Chamber rejected the application.

- On 20 June, we received a "Scheduling Order" in Krnojelac. The Appeals Chamber ordered that a Status Conference be held on Wednesday 31 July at 4.30p.m.

- On 20 June, we received the "Decision on Prosecution’s Application for Certification Under Rule 73(b) Concerning the Evidence of an Investigation" in the Milosevic case. The Trial Chamber certified the interlocutory appeal of the Decision.

- Also in the Milosevic case on 21 June, we received the "Prosecution’s Response to ‘Observations by the Amici Curiae on the Amended Expert Report of Morton Torkildsen Filed 29^th May 2002.’ "

- On 21 June, we received the "Prosecution’s Submission of Three Written Statements Provided Pursuant to Rule 22 bis" in the Milosevic case.

- On 21 June, we received the "Order on Depositions" in the Naletilic and Martinovic case.

- Also on 21 June, we received the "Order on Notice Regarding Redactions to Prosecution’s Respondent Brief" in the Blaskic case. The Trial Chamber ordered that:

"1) the public version of the Appellant’s Brief on Appeal, filed 7 March 2002, be regarded as a confidential filing in all proceedings before the International Tribunal, and any person who has already received a copy of it prior to this order shall treat it as such and shall not disclose it in any form to any other person, unless leave to do so is granted by express order of the Appeals Chamber; any disregard of this order shall be subjected to proceedings under Rule 77 of the Rules;"

- Finally on 21 June, we received the "Order for Hearing on Motion for Provisional Release" in the Ljubicic case. A motion hearing is scheduled for Monday 1 July 2002 at 3.00p.m.

Copies of all these documents will be available on request after the briefing.

On behalf of the Outreach Programme:

Open Society Fund in Bosnia and Herzegovina in cooperation with the ICTY Outreach is organising a conference entitled "The Role of Witnesses in War Crimes Proceedings" which will take place in Banja Luka on 27 June 2002.

The conference aims to provide prosecutors, judges, police investigators, representatives of war victims associations, media and other relevant institutions and individuals with an opportunity to discuss different aspects of witness testimonies in war crimes proceedings, as well as issues concerning witness protection, especially the procedures used before ICTY and local courts.

The conference will also provide the representatives of victims associations with an opportunity to express their views on the importance of witness testimony as a chance to tell the victims’ story.

Discussion on the issue should give the relevant professionals and the public in Bosnia and Herzegovina an insight into many details related to witness testimony in war crime cases and it should contribute to the demystification of the status of witnesses appearing before the International Criminal Tribunal in The Hague and witness protection measures practiced before ICTY.

Finally, due to the Diplomatic Seminar tomorrow, the tables in the lobby will be removed for a period during the day.

*****