Tribunal Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

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 1                          Wednesday, 9 March 2005

 2                          [Open session]

 3                          [Initial Appearance]

 4                          [The accused entered court]

 5                          --- Upon commencing at 1.04 p.m.

 6            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Will the registrar call the case, please.

 7            THE REGISTRAR:  Yes, Your Honour.  Good afternoon, Your Honour.

 8    This is case number IT-04-81-I, the Prosecutor of the Tribunal against

 9    Momcilo Perisic.

10            JUDGE ROBINSON:  And the appearances for the Prosecutor.

11            MR. GROOME:  Good afternoon, Your Honour.  Representing the Office

12    of the Prosecutor, I am Dermot Groome, accompanied by Karim Kahn Agha and

13    Chester Stamp, and assisted by Skye Winner.

14            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Thank you, Mr. Groome.  And for the accused.

15            MR. KAHN:  Your Honour, you will have to make do, I'm afraid, with

16    a simple Karim Kahn for the accused as duty counsel.

17            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Yes.  I'm happy to have you, Mr. Kahn.

18            Well, this, as you know, is the initial appearance of Mr. Momcilo

19    Perisic.  The hearing will be conducted in accordance with the provisions

20    of Rule 62, and at the hearing the accused will be asked to enter a plea

21    on the indictment in the case against him.

22            Please stand, Mr. Perisic.  Let me first ascertain whether you can

23    hear the proceedings in a language that you understand.

24            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Yes.

25            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Thank you.

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 1            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Mr. Kahn, I take it that Mr. Perisic has received

 2    a copy of the indictment and that you have had the opportunity of going

 3    through the indictment with him and informing him of the nature of the

 4    charges against him.

 5            MR. KAHN:  Your Honour, I have.  He's read the indictment and he

 6    understands the nature of the charges that he faces.

 7            JUDGE ROBINSON:  And as you're aware, the accused has the right to

 8    have the indictment read out in court before he pleads to it.  He may also

 9    waive the right.  What does he wish to do?

10            MR. KAHN:  Your Honour, the accused is mindful of the preciousness

11    of Court time and he's happy to waive his right as far as having the full

12    indictment read out to him today.

13            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Thank you.  I'm grateful for the cooperation.

14            Mr. Perisic, you have heard what your counsel has said.  You have

15    the indictment in a language you understand.  He has been through it with

16    you, informed you of the nature of the charges against you.  Now, you may

17    enter a plea today or within 30 days of this appearance.  Do you wish to

18    enter a plea today?

19            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, I wish to enter a plea

20    today.

21            JUDGE ROBINSON:  The counts in the indictment will be read out to

22    you by the Court deputy.  She will read the counts, and I will take your

23    plea.

24            Please commence.

25            THE REGISTRAR:  Count 1, murder, a crime against humanity,

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 1    punishable under Articles 5(a) and 7(1) and 7(3) of the Statute of the

 2    Tribunal.

 3            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead, Mr. Perisic; guilty or not

 4    guilty?

 5            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, not guilty.

 6            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Thank you.  Count 2.

 7            THE REGISTRAR:  Count 2, murder, a violation of the laws or

 8    customs of war as recognised by Common Article 3(1)(a) of the Geneva

 9    Conventions of 1949 punishable under Articles 3 and 7(1) and 7(3) of the

10    Statute of the Tribunal.

11            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead, Mr. Perisic; guilty or not

12    guilty?

13            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, not guilty.

14            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Count 3.

15            THE REGISTRAR:  Count 3, inhumane acts, a crime against humanity,

16    punishable under Articles 5(i) and 7(1) and 7(3) of the Statute of the

17    Tribunal.

18            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead; guilty or not guilty?

19            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, not guilty.

20            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Count 4.

21            THE REGISTRAR:  Count 4, attacks on civilians, a violation of the

22    laws or customs of war, as recognised by Article 51(2) of the Additional

23    Protocol I and Article 13(2) of Additional Protocol II to the Geneva

24    Conventions of 1949, punishable under Articles 3 and 7(1) and 7(3) of the

25    Statute of the Tribunal.

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 1            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead; guilty or not guilty?

 2            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, not guilty.

 3            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Count 5.

 4            THE REGISTRAR:  Count 5, murder, a crime against humanity

 5    punishable under Articles 5(a) and 7(3) of the Statute of the Tribunal.

 6            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead; guilty or not guilty?

 7            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, not guilty.

 8            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Thank you.  Count 6.

 9            THE REGISTRAR:  Murder, a violation of the laws or customs of war

10    as recognised by Common Article 3(1)(a) of the Geneva Conventions of 1949,

11    punishable under Articles 3 and 7(3) of the Statute of the Tribunal.

12            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead; guilty or not guilty?

13            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Not guilty.

14            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Thank you.  Count 7.

15            THE REGISTRAR:  Inhumane acts, a crime against humanity,

16    punishable under Articles 5(i) and 7(3) of the Statute of the Tribunal.

17            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead; guilty or not guilty?

18            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, not guilty.

19            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Count 8.

20            THE REGISTRAR:  Attacks on civilians, a violation of the laws or

21    customs of war, as recognised by Article 51(2) of Additional Protocol I

22    and Article 13(2) of Additional Protocol II to the Geneva Conventions of

23    1949, punishable under Articles 3 and 7(3) of the Statute of the Tribunal.

24            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead; guilty or not guilty?

25            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, not guilty.

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 1            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Count 9.

 2            THE REGISTRAR:  Count 9, murder, a crime against humanity,

 3    punishable under Articles 5(a) and 7(1) and 7(3) of the Statute of the

 4    Tribunal.

 5            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead; guilty or not guilty?

 6            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, not guilty.

 7            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Count 10.

 8            THE REGISTRAR:  Count 10, murder, a violation of the laws or

 9    customs of war as recognised by Common Article 3(1)(a) of the Geneva

10    Conventions of 1949, punishable under Articles 3 and 7(1) and 7(3), of the

11    Statute of the Tribunal.

12            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead; guilty or not guilty?

13            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, not guilty.

14            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Count 11.

15            THE REGISTRAR:  Inhumane acts, a crime against humanity,

16    punishable under Articles 5(i) and 7(1) and 7(3) of the Statute of the

17    Tribunal.

18            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead; guilty or not guilty?

19            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, not guilty.

20            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Count 12.

21            THE REGISTRAR:  Count 12, persecutions on political, racial or

22    religious grounds, a crime against humanity, including murder, cruel and

23    inhumane treatment and forcible transfer, punishable under Articles 5(h)

24    and 7(1) and 7(3) of the Statute of the Tribunal.

25            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead; guilty or not guilty?

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 1            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, not guilty.

 2            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Count 13.

 3            THE REGISTRAR:  Count 13, extermination, a crime against humanity

 4    punishable under Articles 5(b) and 7(1) and 7(3) of the Statute of the

 5    Tribunal.

 6            JUDGE ROBINSON:  How do you plead?

 7            THE ACCUSED: [Interpretation] Your Honour, not guilty.

 8            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Thank you.  You may sit.

 9            It only remains for me, Mr. Groome, to remind you of your

10    obligation under Rule 66 to make available to the Defence within 30 days

11    copies of the supporting material which accompany the indictment.

12            MR. GROOME:  Your Honour, I recognise our obligations in that

13    regard, and our intention is to fully comply with them.

14            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Thank you, Mr. Groome.

15            Is there any other matter?

16            MR. GROOME:  Not from the Prosecution, Your Honour.

17            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Mr. Kahn?

18            MR. KAHN:  Your Honour, there's no matter that need trouble you to

19    any great extent, but as a matter of information, the accused does have a

20    lawyer of his own, Mr. Batic Vladan.  It's hoped by the accused that OLAD

21    would deal with his application to be admitted onto the Rule 45 list with

22    its customary expedition.  Your Honour that's particularly important in

23    this case because the accused voluntarily surrendered to the jurisdiction

24    of the Tribunal and it's very much in his interests, given his age, that a

25    provisional release application is submitted by the lawyer of his own

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 1    choice within the parameters of the Registrar's obligations at the

 2    earliest opportunity.  Your Honour, that's just for your information at

 3    the moment.

 4            JUDGE ROBINSON:  Thank you very much.  I expect the Registrar will

 5    discharge his duties.

 6            There being no other matter, the hearing is adjourned.

 7                          --- Whereupon the Initial Appearance adjourned

 8                          at 1.15 p.m.

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