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Defence case for Ratko Mladić to begin on Monday,19 May

PRESS ADVISORY
(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)
The Hague, 8 May 2014
CS/PA543e

Defence case for Ratko Mladić to begin on Monday,19 May

The Defence case for Ratko Mladić is scheduled to begin on Monday, 19 May at 9:30 a.m. in courtroom I. It will follow a Pre-Defence conference scheduled for Monday, 12 May at 9:30 a.m. in courtroom I.

Ratko Mladić, former Commander of the Bosnian Serb Army Main Staff, stands accused of genocide and a multitude of crimes committed against Bosnian Muslim, Bosnian Croat and other non-Serb civilians in BiH from May 1992 to late 1995.

Ratko Mladić was initially indicted on 25 July 1995. After having been at large for almost sixteen years, he was arrested on 26 May 2011 and transferred to the Tribunal on 31 May 2011. His trial commenced on 16 May 2012 and the Prosecution concluded its case on 26 February 2014.

On 17 March 2014, the Defence orally presented its motion for acquittal pursuant to Rule 98 bis. The Prosecution responded on 18 March 2014. The Trial Chamber issued an oral decision on 15 April 2014 pursuant to Rule 98 bis dismissing the requests for acquittal filed by Mladić.

The hearings will be broadcast with a 30 minute delay on the Tribunal’s website.

Journalists wishing to cover either of these hearings should send an email to press [at] icty.org.

Other members of the public wishing to attend the hearing should send an email to kralt.icty [at] un.org for more information on the procedure to follow and the available space.