Civil society representatives in region decry jailing of Hartmann

Civil society representatives in region decry jailing of Hartmann

The former spokeswoman of the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Florence Hartman, was arrested on Thursday, 24 March, outside the ICTY building and taken to serve a seven-day jail term. Hartmann was arrested by ICTY security officers on orders of the chamber that rendered a final judgment against her. Civil society representatives from the region of the former Yugoslavia hereby voice their support for Florence Hartmann and her uncompromising struggle for truth.

Florence Hartmann was not given the jail sentence because she did something that is usually considered to constitute contempt of court, such as tampering with witnesses or refusal to give evidence before the international court, but because of exposing and countering the practice of concealing documents in order to protect the interests of some states. Namely, in her book “Paix et Châtiment” [Peace and Punishment] and the article entitled “Vital Genocide Documents Concealed’, published in January 2008, Hartmann revealed information relating to the decision of the ICTY Appeals Chamber ordering that the documents created by the Supreme Defence Council which Serbia supplied to the Tribunal during the trial of Slobodan Milošević be filed as confidential.

Let us quote the statement that Hartmann has recently given to the N1 TV Station during the Pressing talk show: “I discovered a decision in which judges say ‘we are concealing very important archives of the Milosevic regime because should Bosnia seek reparation, Serbia would have to pay millions of dollars, which would affect Serbia’s economy (...) This is the only part I used. The judges later removed the classification from these documents themselves, because I had said that was an unlawful thing to do. They disgraced themselves by accusing me, by issuing an arrest warrant for me. What matters is that we now have access to these documents“.

We are profoundly convinced that what Florence Hartmann did may be contrary to the ICTY Statute but is certainly not contrary to justice. Quite the opposite. Therefore we stand by her in her commitment to the pursuit of truth and efforts to make official state archives available to the public.

Lastly, we would like to draw attention to the fact that the Hague Tribunal made a decision to arrest Florence Hartmann at the moment when it showed weakness with respect to Vojislav Šešelj’s decision not to appear before the court for the pronouncement of the judgment against him and Serbia’s refusal to hand over Šešelj and another three members of the Serbian Radical Party accused of contempt of court for tampering with witnesses, to the ICTY. The Hague Tribunal used to apply the same standards to all accused persons in the past, so it should do so in this case too.

1. Aida Kalender, Cultural worker



2. Ajla Delkić, The Advisory Council for Bosnia and Herzegovina



3. Aldin Aranutović, Journalist



4. Aleksandar Brezar, Journalist, Translator, Screenwriter



5. Aleksandra Letić, Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska



6. Amila Buturović, University of York



7. Ana Knifer, Artist



8. Association of Victims and Witnesses of Genocide, Bosnia and Herzegovina



9. Anima NGO, Montenegro



10. Boris Šiber, Journalist



11. Borka Pavićević



12. Branka Prpa, Historian



13. Center for Civic Education, Montenegro



14. Center for Cultural Decontamination, Serbia



15. Center for Monitoring and Research – CeMI, , Montenegro



16. Center for Protection of Human Rights and Tolerance, Polimlje, Serbia



17. Civic Action, Serbia



18. Civic Committee for Human Rights, Croatia



19. Civil Rights Defenders, Serbia



20. Cultural center DamaD, Serbia



21. Čedo Prodanović



22. Dalibor Tanić, Activist



23. Danijela Majstorović, University of Banja Luka



24. Danijela Ranković



25. Darko Cvijetić, Artist



26. Denis Cerić, Photographer HINA



27. Denis Romac, Vice President of Croatian Journalists' Association



28. Documenta, Croatia



29. Edin Ramulić, Activist



30. Edo Popović, Writer



31. Elvira Mujkić, Activist



32. Elvis Kušljugić, Activist



33. Eric Gordy, Professor



34. Eugen Jakovčić, Centre for Peace Studies



35. Faik Ispahiu, producer



36. Faruk Šehić, Writer



37. Humanitarian Law Center, Serbia



38. Humanitarian Law Center Kosovo



39. Forum for Local and Regional Cooperation – FLORES, Serbia



40. Goran Borković, Editor in chief of the portal Forum



41. Goran Miletić



42. Goran Zorić, Activist



43. Gordana Katana, Journalist



44. Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia



45. Hrvoje Polan, Photographer



46. Human Rights Action – HRA, Montenegro



47. Igor Čoko, Editor in chief, Grain



48. Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Serbia



49. Ivana Horvatek, Journalist, Fairpress



50. Ivica Đikić, Editor in chief, Novosti



51. Jasmin Mujanović, University of York



52. Jeta Xharra, journalist



53. Jim Marshall, Activist and Photographer



54. Joël Hubrecht, Revue Esprit



55. Ladislav Tomičić, Journalist and editor in chief of portal Lupiga



56. Larisa Aganović, Activist



57. Lejla Bakić, Activist



58. Lejla Durmišević - Pašalić, Activist



59. Lejla Omeragić – Ćatić, Activist



60. Lejla Pašalić, Activist



61. Ljilja Spasić, Activist



62. Masha Durkalić, Journalist and Activist



63. Melisa Skender, Journalist



64. Melita Vrsaljko, Journalist, Forum



65. Montenegrin Lawyers' Committee for Human Rights



66. Mustafa Galijatović



67. Nataša Kandić



68. Nerma Jelačić, Commission for International Justice and Accountability



69. NGO "Babe", Croatia



70. Nino Bantić, Cameraman AP



71. Nora Ahmetaj, Consultant on Transitional Justice



72. NGO NOMEN, Montenegro



73. The Committee for Human Rights, Leskovac, Serbia



74. Peščanik, Serbia



75. Sabina Šabić, Activist



76. Sandžak Committee for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms, Serbia



77. Sanja Despot, Journalist



78. Sanja Sarvnavka, NGO "Babe"



79. Saša Leković, President of Croatian Journalists' Association



80. Saša Kavić, Camerman Reuters



81. Saša Kosanović, Journalist, HRT



82. Sladjana Bukovac, Journalist, HRT



83. Slobodanka Poštić



84. Snjezana Pavić, Journalist, EPH



85. Sonia Bakarić, Journalist, AFP Paris



86. Srđan Dvornik, Independent consultant and translator



87. Staton Winter, Photographer UN



88. Tanja Rudež, Journalist, Jutarnji list



89. Tomislav Jakić, Journalist and former Adviser to Croatian President



90. Vladimir Lulić, Vice President of Croatian Journalists' Association



91. Vlatko Čerić



92. Vojislav Mazzocco, Journalist, Index



93. Vojvodinian Civic Center, Serbia



94. Women in Black, Serbia



95. Women’s Safe House, Montenegro



96. Ziyah Gafić, Photographer



97. Zlatko Dizdarević



98. Zoran Ćatić, Activist



99. Zoran Ivančić, Activist



100. Zoran Janković, Cameraman AP



101. Zoran Kusovac, Journalist



102. Zrinka Bralo, Activist



103. Žarka Radoja, Journalist



104. Žarko Puhovski, Professor