Brammertz: Regional cooperation disturbing

Serge Brammertz, chief prosecutor of The Hague Tribunal, and Fletcher Burton, head of the OSCE mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, spoke at a press conference in Sarajevo marking the conclusion of a project in
monitoring and reporting on cases transferred from The Hague Tribunal.
 
“The fact that we finished this with success from your judiciary and the OSCE does not mean that all problems have been resolved. We have also transferred the cases of the second category, which relate to around 30 possible perpetrators. Several of these were processed, but the majority are awaiting
decision. I am worried about the lack of progress,” said Brammertz.
 
The chief Hague prosecutor added that his three-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina focused on regional co-operation, and he pointed out that there are legal deficiencies both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and countries of the region. The Tribunal has forwarded to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina six cases against ten defendants.
 
“We can conclude that the Court and Prosecution did their job efficiently and fairly. We have found some challenges and deficiencies. We are worried by the question of regional co-operation, transparency and witness support,” said Burton.
 
He and Brammertz concluded that the escape from prison of Radovan Stankovic, sentenced to 20 years of prison, is a stain on this process.
 
“We agreed that this situation is inadmissible and in all the meetings, both over here and in neighbouring countries, I demand that he be apprehended,” said the chief Hague prosecutor.
 
When asked about preparations for the beginning of trial of former commander of the Army of Republika Srpska, Ratko Mladic, Brammertz reminded that the Prosecution is considering a possibility of reducing indictments.
 
“We are also considering how to use more written evidence. We will try to make as much facts from other cases accepted as possible,” he added.
 
Responding to questions on cases of Srebrenica victims which were destroyed in 2005 in the Tribunal, Brammertz said that could not happen again because the method of storing evidence has been changed and that an internal audit showed that no one destroyed these cases in order to hurt the victims,
but for reasons of health.
 
He is planning to meet representatives of victims’ associations, where, he said, the dialogue would resume.
 
During his visit before his regular reporting to the UN Security Council, Brammertz met with members of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina and acting chief prosecutor for the Prosecution of Bosnia and Herzegovina Jadranka Lokmic-Misiraca.