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Please
note that this is not a verbatim transcript of the Press Briefing. It is merely
a summary.
ICTY Weekly Press
Briefing
Date: 24 February 1999
Time: 11:30 a.m.
REGISTRY AND CHAMBERS
Today, Jim Landale, the ICTY Spokesman, made the following announcements:
Id first
like to draw your attention to the fact that on 19 February, the Appeals Chamber
denied a motion for the provisional release of Zdravko Mucic. Mucic filed his
motion on 18 February, the day before, in order to attend his uncles funeral
in central Bosnia. Copies of that ruling are available to those who want them.
We also have copies
of the Prosecutors response to the joint defence motion for the provisional
release of Kordic and Cerkez.
And, in the Bosanski
Samac case, there are a number of responses by the Prosecution to motions filed
by the Defence counsel for Stevan Todorovic that we have and which are available
to those who are interested.
And finally, we
have the first edition of the judicial bulletin available. Copies can be obtained
after the briefing.
QUESTIONS:
Asked who filed
the requests concerning the release of transcripts of closed session testimonies
of witnesses (Furundzija and Kupreskic), Mr Blewitt, the Deputy Prosecutor,
replied that it was his understanding that they had been filed by the Defence.
Asked whether
it was possible to release transcripts from closed court sessions, Blewitt
answered that it was not possible without the consent of the Trial Chamber.
He added that, generally speaking, if a situation existed that required protective
measures for a witness and if then circumstances changed to the effect that
protective measures were no longer required, the confidentiality could be
removed.
Asked for any
comments on the developments in Rambouillet, Blewitt replied that the talks
were adjourned to mid-March and that it was now a question of waiting to see
what was in the agreement, and what the parties would finally agree to. He
added that the members of the Contact Group remained supportive of the Tribunals
role in Kosovo and that he expected that the final agreement would acknowledge
the Tribunal.
Asked if he
knew whether the ICTY was now in the draft text, Blewitt replied that it was
his understanding that it was and that assurances had been given that it was.
He added that he was not even sure the ICTY had ever been taken out because
there had been many different reports on this and it was difficult to determine
their accuracy.
Asked if the
President had received a response to her letter, Landale replied that it was
his understanding that the President had talked to the French Ambassador.
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