|
Please
note that this is not a verbatim transcript of the Press Briefing. It is merely
a summary
ICTY Weekly
Press Briefing
Date: 5 September 2001
Time: 11:30 a.m.
REGISTRY AND
CHAMBERS
Jim
Landale, Spokesman for Registry and Chambers, made the following statement:
The
first six ad litem Judges have arrived in The Hague and are busy settling
in and receiving a number of briefings before they are assigned to their respective
Trial Chambers by the President, Judge Claude Jorda. They are due to start their
trials on 10 September. We hope to able to inform you of the composition of
the Trial Chambers by the end of this week.
The ad litem
Judges will be invited to make their solemn declarations – pursuant to Rule
14 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence – tomorrow, Thursday 6 September at
5.30 p.m. Media are welcome to attend.
Most of you will
have seen that Dragan Kolundzija entered a plea of guilty to one count of persecution
as a crime against humanity yesterday as part of a plea agreement with the prosecution,
which was accepted by Trial Chamber III. In return, the Prosecution agreed to
drop the other four counts against Kolundzija and to recommend to the Trial
Chamber that they impose a sentence of not less than three years and not more
than five years. I should point out that the Trial Chamber is not bound by that
recommendation.
This morning,
we received another filing in this case entitled ‘Admitted Facts Relevant to
the Plea Agreement for Dragan Kolundzija’, copies of which will be available
to you after this briefing.
Sentencing
briefs for Kolundzija have to be filed by 1 October and there will be sentencing
hearings on 7 and 8 October.
Finally, yesterday
we received copies of Trial Chamber III’s written Judgement on the Defence Motions
to Acquit Dusko Sikirica of genocide, in which the Trial Chamber dismissed the
genocide charge against Sikirica. Copies of that will be available after this.
There will
be no proceedings in the Sikirica and others trial this week. Closing arguments
for Dusko Sikirica and Damir Dosen will be heard on 4 and 5 October.
QUESTIONS:
Asked
if there was any news about the Amicus Curiae, Landale replied that
there was no news at the moment but that the Tribunal expected to make an
announcement later today or more likely tomorrow on this issue.
Asked whether
the pre-trial briefs in Martinovic and Naletilic were available yet, Landale
replied they were not yet available, but that they would hopefully be available
by the end of the week. The Press Office was also trying to get copies of
the Prosecutor’s opening statements in the three trials due to start next
Monday. Landale added that there would not be any for Naletilic and Martinovic,
however there may be some for the Vasiljevic and Bosanski Samac cases.
*****
|
