Page 37
1 Thursday, 26th February 1998
2 (2.30 pm)
3 (Initial Appearance)
4 JUDGE JORDA: Please, Mr Registrar, can you
5 bring in the accused?
6 (The accused entered court)
7 Registrar, would you please tell us the case
8 number for this afternoon?
9 THE REGISTRAR: This is IT-95-9I.
10 JUDGE JORDA: Thank you. First I would like
11 to turn to the Prosecution to ask who is representing
12 the Prosecutor for the International Tribunal.
13 MS PATERSON: Yes, Mr President. My name is
14 Nancy Paterson and I am representing the Prosecution.
15 JUDGE JORDA: Thank you, I would like to know
16 who are the Defence representatives.
17 MR PANTELIC: Good afternoon, your Honour,
18 I am Mr Pantelic, Defence counsel on behalf of Mr Simo
19 Zaric. I am acting also with my colleague with
20 Mr Borislav Pisarevic. I hope personally that it is
21 the last time I will appear in this case. Thank you.
22 JUDGE JORDA: You are intending never to set
23 foot in this Tribunal again; is that right?
24 MR PANTELIC: As you know, we have some
25 procedural difficulties.
Page 38
1 JUDGE JORDA: I see, you frightened me for a
2 moment there, frightened me, Mr Pantelic.
3 Yes, thank you. I would like to turn to the
4 accused now.
5 Mr Pisarevic, since Mr Pantelic monopolised
6 the Defence I was waiting for you now to tell us what
7 your name and first name are, as well as what bar you
8 are a member of.
9 MR PISAREVIC: I am Mr Pisarevic, attorney
10 from Samac, a member of the bar association of the
11 Republika Srpska. I would like to request something
12 of the President, I have a suggestion.
13 JUDGE JORDA: He is the one who plays a very
14 important role in our proceedings. Unless we are
15 talking about a motion which is really a preliminary
16 motion. I want the accused to introduce himself.
17 First, I did ask the Prosecutor the question
18 and then to ask who you are. First I would ask the
19 accused also to give his name and identity; do you
20 agree?
21 MR PISAREVIC: I agree with you.
22 JUDGE JORDA: We will ask the accused to
23 stand. Turning to the accused, state for the judges
24 your name, your given names, the date and place of your
25 birth, your profession and your last domicile.
Page 39
1 MR ZARIC: I am Simo Zaric, born 25th July
2 1948, in the village of Donjac in the Odzak
3 municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I am an
4 economist, I am retired, currently reside in Samac,
5 Saradusinja Street, number 62.
6 JUDGE JORDA: Thank you.
7 Whilst you are standing, who is your
8 attorney? You have two attorneys in front of you,
9 I would like to know, since Mr Pantelic is already
10 working in this case, which might give rise to
11 a conflict of interest, who is the attorney who has
12 been given to you? Do you understand my question?
13 MR ZARIC: Yes. I am going to be
14 represented, if there are no problems with that, by the
15 counsel, Igor Pantelic and Mr Pisarevic. We will
16 submit our Defence team names to the Registry during
17 the day today.
18 JUDGE JORDA: Thank you. You may be seated.
19 Mr Pantelic, let us be clear here. You are
20 the Defence counsel today under what auspices.
21 MR PANTELIC: We have some technical
22 questions, as we saw in the previous cases, I mean the
23 previous co-accused in this particular case, and we
24 filed -- we have filed yesterday our power of attorney
25 which signed by Mr Zaric since 1996. This afternoon,
Page 40
1 Mr Zaric will make his own choice on the list of the
2 Defence counsels, the Tribunal, and the Registry will
3 properly inform you about his decision. So, having in
4 mind this previous experiences in the other cases, my
5 distinguished colleague Mr Pisarevic and me, we are
6 acting just here for this particular initial appearance
7 of our client. Thank you.
8 JUDGE JORDA: Very well. Thank you. This
9 seems clear. So you are the Defence counsel for
10 today. There is no conflict of interests. As to the
11 Defence attorneys for the accused, his fundamental
12 rights have been respected during this initial
13 hearing. We would like, later on, to ask Mr Zaric to
14 let us know who will be assisting him. You can now sit
15 down, Mr Pantelic.
16 For the public, since this is a public
17 hearing, I would like to recall the relevant provisions
18 of the Statute and of the Rules of Procedure to let us
19 know what they are. If the Registrar does not have
20 them in front of him, I will read them from him. But
21 since we have the Registrar with us, I would like you
22 to read Article 20 of the Statute, 21(4)(a). You do
23 not have the Statute? We will share the work. Very
24 well. I want this to be very clear, starting with
25 Article 20 of the Statute and 21(4)(a) of the Statute
Page 41
1 and then 62 in the Rules of -- governing the initial
2 appearance of the accused.
3 This relates to all of the elements of this
4 trial. We will ask you to read them even though some
5 of the text may be familiar to everybody.
6 THE REGISTRAR: Article 20 of the Statute.
7 Commencement and conduct of trial proceedings.
8 1. The Trial Chambers shall ensure that a
9 trial is fair and expeditious --
10 JUDGE JORDA: Only paragraph 3, please.
11 THE REGISTRAR: Paragraph 3:
12 The Trial Chamber shall read the indictment,
13 satisfy itself that the rights of the accused are
14 respected, confirm that the accused understands the
15 indictment and instruct the accused to enter a plea.
16 JUDGE JORDA: Now, 21(4)(a), please.
17 THE REGISTRAR: (4)(a).
18 All persons must be -- in determining if any
19 charge against the accused in pursuance of the present
20 Statute the accused shall be entitled to the following
21 minimum guarantees and full equality:
22 (a) to be informed promptly and in detail, in
23 a language which he understands, of the nature and
24 cause of the charge against him.
25 JUDGE JORDA: Very well, these Articles of
Page 42
1 the Statute, are found in the Statute, have now be
2 read. Please do not be seated, we have not yet
3 finished. Now let us look at the provisions of the
4 Rules adopted by the judges of this Tribunal. Rule 62,
5 the initial appearance of the accused, which is what
6 this is, that is the initial hearing. Rule 62, please,
7 the initial appearance of the accused.
8 THE REGISTRAR: Upon his transfer to the seat
9 of the Tribunal, the accused shall be brought before
10 a Trial Chamber without delay and shall be formally
11 charged. The Trial Chamber shall:
12 (i) satisfy itself that the right of the
13 accused to counsel is respected;
14 (ii) read or have the indictment read to the
15 accused in a language he speaks and understands, and
16 satisfy itself that the accused understands the
17 indictment;
18 (iii) call upon the accused to enter a plea
19 of guilty or not guilty on each count; should the
20 accused fail to do so, enter a plea of not guilty on
21 his behalf;
22 (iv) in case of a plea of not guilty,
23 instruct the Registrar to set a date for trial;
24 (v) in case of a plea of guilty, instruct the
25 Registrar to set a date for the pre-sentencing hearing;
Page 43
1 (vi) instruct the Registrar to set such other
2 dates as appropriate.
3 JUDGE JORDA: Thank you, Mr Registrar.
4 Having done this I would like to turn to the accused
5 once again and ask him to rise.
6 Please rise, Mr Zaric. Was this indictment
7 given to you at the time you were arrested? When you
8 were arrested? How were you arrested, did you
9 surrender. Please state it to us, very succinctly.
10 MR ZARIC: I received the indictment and
11 I voluntarily surrendered in Bosanski Samac to the
12 authorities of the Republika Srpska, and then I was
13 transferred, together the representatives of the
14 American Embassy to the American SFOR. Then it was
15 from there to Tuzla and from Tuzla to The Hague. That
16 is the briefest.
17 JUDGE JORDA: Therefore you were given the
18 indictment at the time you surrendered and, having said
19 this, even though you have understood its context and
20 for things to be very clear, I am going to ask you to
21 be seated and ask the Registrar to read the entire
22 indictment as to its general provisions, then more
23 specifically those that involve you.
24 I say this for the public gallery; the
25 indictment had originally six names in it and I think
Page 44
1 three of these names have been arrested or have
2 surrendered; is that right?
3 THE REGISTRAR: Yes, that is correct.
4 JUDGE JORDA: The two who appeared last week
5 and today, Mr Simo Zaric, known as Solaja.
6 Mr Registrar, would you read the indictment
7 in its entirety as to its general provisions,
8 concerning the six people named in it, then the counts
9 that relate only to Mr Simo Zaric? We are ready to
10 hear you read. The accused will hear you once again.
11 THE REGISTRAR: The Prosecutor of the
12 Tribunal against Miljkovic, also known as Lugar;
13 Blagoje Simic; Milan Simic; Miroslav Tadic, also known
14 as Miro Brko; Stevan Todorovic, also know as Stiv, also
15 known as Stevo, also known as Monstrum; Simo Zaric,
16 also known as Solaja.
17 Indictment:
18 Richard Goldstone, Prosecutor of the
19 International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia,
20 pursuant to his authority under Article 18 of the
21 Statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for the
22 former Yugoslavia, charges:
23 (1) In 1991, almost 17,000 Bosnian Croats
24 and Muslims, of a total population of about 33,000,
25 lived in the municipality of Bosanski Samac in the
Page 45
1 Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. By May 1995, fewer
2 than 300 of the Bosnia Croat and Muslim residents
3 remained.
4 (2) On 17 April 1992, Serb military forces
5 from Bosnia and elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia
6 seized control of the town of Bosanski Samac.
7 (3) Because of its location in the
8 north-western edge of the "Posavina Corridor", control
9 of Bosanski Samac was important to Serb efforts to
10 create a Serb-controlled land bridge between Serbia and
11 the Krajina Serbs in Croatia and western Bosnia and
12 Herzegovina.
13 (4) After seizing control in the military
14 take-over, Serb authorities undertook a campaign of
15 terror designed to force most Bosnian Croat and Muslim
16 residents to leave the area.
17 (5) Beginning on 17 April 1992, Serb
18 military and political authorities co-ordinated and
19 carried out the following actions as part of that
20 campaign of terror:
21 (a) arrested and detained most of the Bosnian
22 Croat and Muslim men in the municipality, particularly
23 the political, economic, professional, academic and
24 civic leaders;
25 (b) established and operated, primarily under
Page 46
1 the authority of the Serb police, detention camps where
2 prisoners were killed, beaten, tortured, sexually
3 assaulted and otherwise mistreated;
4 (c) permitted units of paramilitary soldiers
5 from Serbia to enter the detention camps to kill and
6 beat the prisoners;
7 (d) forced Bosnian Croat and Muslim residents
8 to leave their homes, and permitted Serb residents to
9 move into the vacated homes;
10 (e) expelled, through force or intimidation,
11 Bosnian Croat and Muslim residents of the municipality
12 to other countries and other parts of Bosnia and
13 Herzegovina;
14 (f) required Bosnian Croat and Muslim men,
15 women and children to worked on forced labour projects,
16 such as digging trenches and other work at military
17 confrontation lines;
18 (g) robbed Bosnian Croat and Muslim residents
19 of their cars, cash and valuables, and looted their
20 homes;
21 (h) looted and dismantled equipment and
22 inventories from Bosnian Croat and Muslim businesses;
23 (i) issued orders prohibiting Bosnian Croats
24 and Muslims from congregating in public and requiring
25 Bosnian Croats and Muslims to wear white arm bands to
Page 47
1 identify themselves as non-Serbs;
2 (j) confiscated the bank accounts of many
3 Bosnian Croats and Muslims and blocked the funds in
4 those accounts;
5 (k) mobilised Bosnian Croat and Muslim men
6 into the Bosnian Serb army and sent them to the
7 frontlines;
8 (l) created such an atmosphere of fear and
9 oppression among the non-Serb population that most
10 Bosnian Croat and Muslim residents fled the area.
11 The accused:
12 6 --
13 JUDGE JORDA: Accused in the plural.
14 THE REGISTRAR: The accused.
15 6. Slobodan Miljkovic, also known as Lugar,
16 born in 1953, from Kragujevac, Serbia, was the deputy
17 commander of the 2nd Posavina Brigade, also known as
18 the "Grey Wolves", a paramilitary unit from Serbia.
19 7. Blagoje Simic, born in 1960, is a medical
20 physician from Kruskovo Polje, Bosanski Samac
21 municipality, who is the president of the Serbian
22 Democratic Party (SDS) in Bosanski Samac and was
23 vice-chairman of the town assembly from 1991 through 17
24 April 1992. From 4 November 1991 through at least 30
25 November 1992, Blagoje Simic was the deputy of the
Page 48
1 assembly of the self-declared "Serb Autonomous Region
2 of Northern Bosnia", later called the "Serb autonomous
3 province of Semberija and Majevica", of the, "Serb
4 Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina". In March 1992,
5 Blagoje Simic declared himself head of the "Serb
6 Municipality Bosanski Samac". After the military
7 take-over of Bosanski Samac on 17 April 1992, Blagoje
8 Simic became chairman of the Bosanski Samac Assembly,
9 chairman of the local SDS Crisis Staff and president of
10 the Wartime Presidency.
11 8. Milan Simic, born in 1958, a cousin of
12 Blagoje Simic, trained as an economist, was a member of
13 the Fourth Detachment, and after 17 April 1992 became
14 chairman of the Executive Board of the Bosanski Samac
15 Assembly.
16 9. Miroslav Tadic, also known as Miro Brko,
17 born in 1937, from Odzak municipality, formerly
18 a teacher, ran the cafe "AS" in Bosanski Samac and
19 served as Simo Zaric's deputy in connection with the
20 Fourth Attachment. After 17 April 1992, Miroslav Tadic
21 became chairman of the Bosanski Samac "exchange
22 commission".
23 10. Stevan Todorovic, also known as Stiv,
24 Stevo or Monstrum, born in 1957, from Donja Slatina,
25 Bosanski Samac municipality, was appointed chief of
Page 49
1 police for Bosanski Samac after the 17 April 1992,
2 military take-over. Before then, Stevan Todorovic was
3 an executive in an bamboo furniture factory.
4 11. Simo Zaric, also known as Solaja, born
5 25 July 1948, from Donja Dubica, Odzak municipality,
6 was a former police chief of Bosanski Samac and State
7 Security Service (SDB) agent who, from 1 January 1992
8 through at least 31 August 1992, organised and
9 supervised a Serb Territorial Defence unit known at
10 first as the Fourth Attachment and later remained the
11 Fifth Battalion of the Second Posavina Brigade.
12 General allegations;
13 12. Unless otherwise set forth below, all
14 acts and omissions alleged in this indictment took
15 place between about 17th April and 20th November 1992
16 in Bosanski Samac municipality in the republic Bosnia
17 and Herzegovina in the territory of the
18 Former Yugoslavia.
19 13. At all times relevant to this
20 indictment, a state of armed conflict and partial
21 occupation existed in the Republic of Bosnian and
22 Herzegovina.
23 14. At all times relevant to this
24 indictment, all persons described in this indictment as
25 victims were protected by the Geneva Conventions of
Page 50
1 1949.
2 15. At all times relevant to this
3 indictment, all of the accused in this indictment were
4 required to abide by the laws and customs governing the
5 conduct of war, including the Geneva Conventions of
6 1949.
7 16. In each paragraph of this indictment
8 charging torture, the acts were committed by, or at the
9 instigation of, or with the consent or acquiescence of,
10 an official or person acting in an official capacity,
11 and for one or more of the following purposes: to
12 obtain information or a confession from the victim or a
13 third person; to punish the victim for an act, the
14 victim or a third person committed or was suspected of
15 having committed; to intimidate or coerce the victim or
16 a third person; and/or for any reason based upon
17 discrimination of any kind.
18 17. All acts and omissions charged as crimes
19 against humanity were part of a widespread, systematic
20 or large-scale attack against the Croat and Muslim
21 residents of the municipality of Bosanski Samac.
22 18. Each of the accused is individually
23 responsible for the crimes alleged against him in this
24 indictment, pursuant to Article 7(1) of the Tribunal
25 Statute. Individual criminal liability includes
Page 51
1 committing, planning, initiating, ordering or aiding
2 and abetting in the planning, preparation or execution
3 of any crime referred to in Articles 2 to 5 of the
4 Tribunal Statute.
5 19. Paragraphs 12 through 18 are realleged
6 and incorporated into each of the charges set forth
7 below.
8 Charges: Counts 1 to 2:
9 Deportation and transfer:
10 20. From about 17 April 1992 through at
11 least 4 September 1992, Simo Zaric and Miroslav Tadic
12 participated in the planning of, and preparation for,
13 the unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of
14 hundreds of Bosnia Croat and Muslim residents,
15 including women, children and the elderly, from their
16 homes in the Bosanski Samac municipality to other
17 countries or to the other parts of the Republic of
18 Bosnia and Herzegovina not controlled by Serb forces.
19 By these actions Simo Zaric and Miroslav Tadic planned,
20 instigated, ordered or committed:
21 Count 1: A grave breach of the
22 Geneva Conventions of 1949 (hereafter grave breach)
23 recognised by Article 2(g) (unlawful deportation or
24 transfer) of the Tribunal Statute;
25 Count 2: A crime against humanity recognised
Page 52
1 by Article 5(d) (deportation) of the Tribunal Statute.
2 Signed by Richard J Goldstone, Prosecutor.
3 The indictment was confirmed on 21 July 1995
4 by Judge Vohrah.
5 JUDGE JORDA: Mr Zaric, would you please
6 rise?
7 You heard the indictment which, as you
8 already said, was given to you. You heard it in your
9 own language and you understood its contents; is that
10 not right.
11 MR ZARIC: Yes.
12 JUDGE JORDA: I must now ask you whether you
13 plead guilty or not guilty to each of the counts.
14 The Registrar will state that you have been
15 accused of two counts, counts 1 and 2. After each of
16 them I will ask you if you plead guilty or not guilty.
17 I am not asking you whether you feel guilty or whether
18 you feel responsible, but merely whether you are
19 pleading guilty, whether -- to the charge of having --
20 that, as you have been told, that you must plead either
21 guilty or not guilty. That is what you now know.
22 I ask the Registrar to rise again and read
23 count 1.
24 THE REGISTRAR: Count 1: A grave breach of
25 the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (hereafter grave breach)
Page 53
1 recognised by Article 2(g) (unlawful deportation or
2 transfer) of the Tribunal Statute.
3 JUDGE JORDA: Do you plead guilty or not
4 guilty?
5 MR ZARIC: Not guilty.
6 JUDGE JORDA: I did not get the
7 interpretation, the microphone was not on, that is why
8 I did not get it. You plead not guilty. We will ask
9 the interpreter to repeat.
10 MR ZARIC: I plead not guilty because I am
11 not guilty.
12 JUDGE JORDA: Then you have told your Defence
13 counsel that throughout this -- all these proceedings
14 you will plead not guilty, do we agree on that?
15 MR ZARIC: That is correct.
16 JUDGE JORDA: Count 2.
17 THE REGISTRAR: Count 2: a crime against
18 humanity, recognised by Article 5(d) (deportation) of
19 the Tribunal Statute.
20 JUDGE JORDA: Mr Zaric, I am listening to
21 you.
22 MR ZARIC: Not guilty.
23 JUDGE JORDA: Very well. You may be seated.
24 Registrar, I ask you that you note in the
25 minutes of this hearing that the accused has pleaded
Page 54
1 not guilty to each of the charges that were read
2 separately, that is Count 1 and Count 2.
3 Before closing this hearing, we will organise
4 the Trial Chamber's work. Ordinarily we should set the
5 theoretical date for the trial. I will turn to
6 Ms Paterson, who represents the Office of the
7 Prosecutor.
8 First, so I can remind you of the obligations
9 which are yours according to Rule 66, you have already
10 given copies of all -- of the documents that were
11 attached and when did that -- all the supporting
12 material, when was that dated?
13 THE REGISTRAR: The indictment was confirmed
14 on 21st July 1995 by Judge Vohrah.
15 JUDGE JORDA: Which means it could not have
16 been any of the judges here. But I do suppose that
17 there was -- some supporting material has been attached
18 to this indictment. Since then you have taken initial
19 statements of some of the witnesses. All of this must
20 be provided, if it has not just been provided, pursuant
21 to Rule 66 of the Rules. That is to the Defence, to
22 Mr Pisarevic or Mr Pantelic and possibly to their
23 successors.
24 Ms Paterson, do you confirm what I have just
25 said?
Page 55
1 MS PATERSON: Yes, Mr President. I have with
2 me today in the court the confirmation material which
3 I am prepared to give to Mr Pisarevic, as long as we
4 just confirm before I give it to him that the order
5 that this court issued on 17th February 1998,
6 concerning the confidentiality of the confirmation
7 material, as well as all subsequent discovery material,
8 applies to Mr Zaric as well as to the other two
9 defendants who we dealt with on the 17th, Mr Simic and
10 Mr Tadic. Assuming that order of confidentiality
11 applies in this proceeding, I am prepared to turn over
12 the confirmation material today.
13 JUDGE JORDA: You know starting from today we
14 should set the time period after which the 60 days will
15 be counted which will allow the Defence possibly to
16 file any preliminary motions it chooses to do.
17 Do you consider that starting from the date,
18 as from the date of the initial appearance, we can set
19 the date, or have you not completed all of your
20 disclosures?
21 MS PATERSON: We are prepared to hand over
22 all the material that supported the indictment at the
23 time of confirmation. As to any other material that
24 needs to be disclosed to the Defence we are prepared to
25 do that according to the Rules of Procedure. All
Page 56
1 witness statements, for example, will be turned over
2 prior to trial. But at this point, we are prepared
3 only to turn over the confirmation material.
4 JUDGE JORDA: Yes. But you know that the
5 Rules have changed on this point. From now on the
6 60-day period runs once the Prosecutor has given to the
7 Defence all the supporting material which is indicated
8 in Rule 66(A). As we say in my own language, it should
9 not be a case of the serpent chasing its own tail, that
10 is running after you for things. You seem to have
11 a rather broad conception of this, although
12 I understand that we cannot set the 60-day starting
13 point today. But we had this discussion last week at
14 the initial appearance of the two co-accused, that is
15 Mr Simic and Mr Tadic. I am not asking you for
16 a specific date right now, but I would like to recall
17 that the Rule has changed. Before we start the 60-day
18 from the day of the initial appearance, but now it has
19 changed.
20 Do you think that in a relatively -- in
21 a date not too far away, you can say to the Trial
22 Chamber, "yes, from now on we can start counting the
23 time period"; what is your opinion on that?
24 MS PATERSON: Mr President, I believe at the
25 last appearance you set a date of 17th March for a next
Page 57
1 appearance. I believe on that date I can give the
2 court a relatively good idea of when we are prepared to
3 turn over additional discovery material.
4 JUDGE JORDA: Let me turn to the legal
5 officer. On 17th March, will this date be
6 represented?
7 MR FOURMY: theoretically there should be no
8 problems, subject to anything else that might arise.
9 JUDGE JORDA: We have many cases and for the
10 time we have only one courtroom.
11 Attorneys for the Defence, this date of 17th
12 March, is that satisfying to you, Mr Pisarevic?
13 MR PISAREVIC: Yes, it is convenient,
14 Mr President.
15 JUDGE JORDA: 17th March will be the date for
16 a status conference in order to see where we are going
17 forward.
18 The last point I would like to bring up
19 before you, and it should not cause any problems,
20 I suppose that both the accused and the Defence, I do
21 not know this will be a problem for the Prosecution,
22 I think that we -- that we joined the trials of Miro
23 Simic and Miroslav Tadic, who are co-accused in this
24 case. I would like to have the opinion of the Defence
25 counsel? Do you agree that they be joined or there be
Page 58
1 a single trial?
2 MR PISAREVIC: Yes, we agree, your Honour,
3 with that proposal. That is what we had actually
4 expected, thank you.
5 JUDGE JORDA: Now, for the Office of the
6 Prosecutor?
7 MS PATERSON: Yes, Mr President, as things
8 stand today that would be our preference unless
9 circumstances change, at which point we will inform the
10 court accordingly.
11 JUDGE JORDA: Very well. I would first like
12 to consult with my colleagues. (Pause).
13 Very well, my colleagues agree. Therefore,
14 we will join the trials of Simic, Tadic and Zaric.
15 I think we have nothing left to say.
16 However, we would like to turn to the accused
17 so he be given the last word and ask whether he has any
18 additional comments he would like to make, how things
19 are going on, what his detention conditions are like,
20 if he has any statements to make before we adjourn this
21 hearing.
22 Mr Zaric, would you rise, please; unless you
23 have no statement to make, which is also your right.
24 MR ZARIC: I should just like to say a few
25 words, if I may. My decision to come here voluntarily
Page 59
1 before The Hague Tribunal is based on two facts: first,
2 that I feel that I am not guilty, that I am an innocent
3 man.
4 Secondly, because I have every confidence in
5 The Hague Tribunal, that it will fairly and impartially
6 review the allegations contained in my indictment and
7 that it will enable my Defence counsel, my attorneys
8 and myself to prove my innocence.
9 All that I have done as a human being in the
10 50 years of my life will be verified in one way or
11 another before this honourable Trial Chamber in the
12 near future.
13 The indictment in the legal terminology used
14 is rather grave, but I think it can be easily
15 challenged in the case of an honest and honourable man
16 such as Simo Zaric is.
17 All that I wanted to say is based, in the
18 first place, on the fact that sooner or later this
19 honourable Trial Chamber will have the final say and
20 rest assured that then, as today, you will have before
21 you an honourable, proud and honest man.
22 If those are characteristics that should
23 adorn human beings on this planet of ours, then I think
24 that it will not be difficult for the Prosecutors, nor
25 for you as judges, to make your final ruling in my
Page 60
1 case.
2 I just wish to tell the truth and, through
3 the truth, to achieve justice. I hope you will assist
4 me in doing that. Thank you very much.
5 JUDGE JORDA: Thank you very much. The
6 hearing will be adjourned, if there are no other
7 comments. Allow the judges to leave the Trial Chamber
8 first. First I would like to turn to my colleagues,
9 Judge Riad, Judge Rodrigues? There are no other
10 comments. The court stands adjourned.
11 (3.15 pm)
12 (Hearing concluded)
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