Šešelj charged with contempt of court

The Hague Tribunal has brought a new charge against Vojislav Seselj, accusing him of disclosing identities of protected witnesses. The disclosure concerns the main trial conducted against him, where the prosecution is accusing the leader of the Serb Radicals (SRS) of war crimes. Seselj charged with contempt of court According to the new indictment, Seselj published in his book, the title of which was not given, “numerous information about the witnesses, including their real names, occupations, residencies, that made their identification possible”. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison last year after being found in contempt of court, and for the same reason, before the tribunal. The trial chamber order than an amicus curiae prosecutor be appointed, to lead the case against Seselj. The accused will be called to enter his plea and the continuation of the trial will be scheduled afterwards. Prosecution’s case of presenting its evidence in the main trial is nearly finished, and Seselj will file a request for release at the end of March. The documents published today show that the prosecution requested the initiation of the contempt proceedings last January, but that the trial chamber chaired by O-Gon Kwon rejected it. The prosecution then filed an appeal against this decision. That request was confidential and unilateral, meaning that was not available neither to the public, nor to Seselj. The trial chamber made a decision, which was also not available to the public or to the accused, to reject this request in August of last year. Judges Kwon, Kevin Parker and Burton Hall stated that, although Seselj had known that the identity of nine out of 13 witnesses he mentioned in his book had been protected by the tribunal’s decision, there were no sufficient evidence that he was in contempt of court by revealing the information that could identify them. “The chamber has determined that the information which was published in the book spoke of these witnesses as ‘witnesses of defense’ instead of witnesses of prosecution and that they have not revealed their aliases,” the trial chamber determined at the time. The prosecution filed an appeal at the end of September of last year, which was adopted by the Tribunal’s Chamber of Appeals on December 17, charging Seselj with contempt. The chamber stated in its decision that it did not matter whether persons whose identity had been revealed by the accused were witnesses of the prosecution or defense, but that he had violated the protective measures determined by the court by disclosing the identities. The main trial had been adjourned since February 2009 until January of this year, after a request from the prosecution, due to the claims of one of the 11 witnesses that he had received threats. Seselj surrendered and was extradited to the Hague Tribunal in February 2003.

Šešelj charged with contempt of court

According to the new indictment, Šešelj published in his book, the title of which was not given, “numerous information about the witnesses, including their real names, occupations, residencies, that made their identification possible”.

He was sentenced to 15 months in prison last year after being found in contempt of court, and for the same reason, before the tribunal.

The trial chamber order than an amicus curiae prosecutor be appointed, to lead the case against Šešelj.

The accused will be called to enter his plea and the continuation of the trial will be scheduled afterwards.

Prosecution’s case of presenting its evidence in the main trial is nearly finished, and Šešelj will file a request for release at the end of March.

The documents published today show that the prosecution requested the initiation of the contempt proceedings last January, but that the trial chamber chaired by O-Gon Kwon rejected it.

The prosecution then filed an appeal against this decision.

That request was confidential and unilateral, meaning that was not available neither to the public, nor to Šešelj.

The trial chamber made a decision, which was also not available to the public or to the accused, to reject this request in August of last year.

Judges Kwon, Kevin Parker and Burton Hall stated that, although Šešelj had known that the identity of nine out of 13 witnesses he mentioned in his book had been protected by the tribunal’s decision, there were no sufficient evidence that he was in contempt of court by revealing the information that could identify them.

“The chamber has determined that the information which was published in the book spoke of these witnesses as ‘witnesses of defense’ instead of witnesses of prosecution and that they have not revealed their aliases,” the trial chamber determined at the time.

The prosecution filed an appeal at the end of September of last year, which was adopted by the Tribunal’s Chamber of Appeals on December 17, charging Šešelj with contempt.

The chamber stated in its decision that it did not matter whether persons whose identity had been revealed by the accused were witnesses of the prosecution or defense, but that he had violated the protective measures determined by the court by disclosing the identities.

The main trial had been adjourned since February 2009 until January of this year, after a request from the prosecution, due to the claims of one of the 11 witnesses that he had received threats.

Šešelj surrendered and was extradited to the Hague Tribunal in February 2003.