(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official
document)
The Hague, 11 February 2008 NJ/MOW/1215e
Estonia today became the fourteenth UN member state to enter into an agreement on enforcement of sentences with the ICTY. The agreement allows for persons convicted before the Tribunal to serve their sentences in prisons within Estonia.
Mr. Urmas Paet, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Estonia, and Mr. Hans Holthuis, the ICTY Registrar, signed the agreement in Tallinn. The Registrar will pay a visit to a prison facility in Tartu later today.
Previous agreements were signed with the following states:
Italy - 6 February 1997
Finland - 7 May 1997
Norway - 24 April 1998
Sweden - 23 February 1999
Austria - 23 July 1999
France - 25 February 2000
Spain - 28 March 2000
Germany - signed two ad hoc agreements on 17 October 2000 with regards to Duško Tadić and on 14 November 2002 with regards to Dragoljub Kunarac
Denmark - 4 June 2002
United Kingdom - 11 March 2004
Belgium - 2 May 2007
Ukraine - 7 August 2007
Portugal – 19 December 2007
More than 35 persons convicted by the Tribunal have either served or are serving their sentence in one of the states. Seven convicts are awaiting transfer to one of the states to serve their sentence.
Under the terms of the agreement with Estonia, the state will only enforce sentences pronounced by the Tribunal for a duration which does not exceed the highest maximum sentence for a relevant crime under Estonian law.