Indicted Croatian Journalists
Background: On 25 JAN 2005 and 29 AUG 2005 indictments were issued to
four Croatian Journalists for “Contempt of the Tribunal” for disclosure of the identity and testimony of Stipe Mesic in “The Prosecuter v. Blaskic” Case No. IT-95-14 (“Blaskic case”).
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
- 19 APR 1997 - Mr. Mesic gives a statement to The Hague Tribunal
- 9 MAY 1997 – Two Croatian newspapers, “Vjesnik” and “Vecernji List” publish the identity and testimony of Mr. Mesic as a Prosecution witness at The Tribunal.
- 6 JUNE 1997 – ICTY Chamber I Decision posted on ICTY website identifies Mr. Mesic as a Prosecution witness and states that at the time he gave his statement, he was not covered by any protective measures.
Thus, the ICTY publicly revealed Mesic's identity. Read more here...
http://members.madasafish.com/~opus/Croatia/Brian.Gallagher.051005.html
- 16 MAR 1998 – Mr. Mesic again testifies at The Hague in the Blaskic case.
- 11 FEB 2000 – Croatia’s President-elect Mesic gives a statement to the press (Voice of America Correspondent Report 2-259044) stating that he not only agrees with the Tribunal’s work, but he has personally supported it in the past – as a witness.
- 27 NOV 2000 – Croatian newspapers “Globus” and “Slobodna Dalmacija” publish the identity of Mr. Mesic as a witness (published previously in May 1997).
- 27 NOV 2000 – Mr. Mesic goes on record confirming that he was indeed a witness in the Blaskic case (article in “Vjesnik”). He also states that he has no objection to the publication of the transcripts of his testimony as long as the transcripts are authentic.
- 28 NOV 2000 – Transcripts of Mr. Mesic’s testimony in the Blaskic case are printed in “Slobodna Dalmacija.”
- 28 NOV 2000 – Mr. Mesic holds a press conference confirming that the transcripts are indeed authentic (article in “Vjesnik”).
- 26 NOV 2004 – Croatian newspaper “Hrvatsko Slovo” names Mr. Mesic as a witness at the Tribunal and publishes the transcripts of his testimony (previously published in 2000 by “Slobodna Dalmacija”).
- 25 JAN 2005/29 AUG 2005 – Indictment issued against Josip Jovic for publications in “Slobodna Dalmacija” in 2000 and against Stjepan Seselj, Domagoj Margetic, and Marijan Krizic for publications in “Hrvatsko Slovo” in 2004.
- 23 MAY 2005 – President Mesic gives an interview to Croatian Radio in which he again discusses his own role as a witness at The Hague (published on the President of the Republic of Croatia website). In the interview he states that he was never a “secret witness” rather a “protected witness” and that he has often publicly discussed his testimony in the Blaskic case. “Everything I say to you today, I said at the [ICTY] court,” Mr. Mesic said.
Background: On 25 JAN 2005 – Indictments were issued against two Croatian journalists for “Contempt of the Tribunal” for disclosure of the identity and testimony of a witness in “The Prosecuter v. Blaskic” Case No. IT-95-14 (“Blaskic case”).
CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
- 2 AUG 1997 and 19 DEC 1997– a Dutch UN officer gives testimony to The Hague Tribunal
- 17 NOV 2004 – Croatian newspaper “Novi List” publishes the identity and testimony of the protected witness.
- 18 NOV 2004 – Croatian newspaper “Hrvatski List” publishes the identity and testimony of the protected witness which had appeared the day before in “Novi List”.
- 25 JAN 2005 – Indictments were issued against Ivica Marijacic and Markica Rebic for publications in “Hrvatski List.” The publishers of “Novi List,” a pro-ICTY, pro-Del Ponte newspaper were never indicted for disclosure of witness identity and testimony one day prior to “Hrvatski List.” Ivica Marijacic was indicted for publishing the name of a protected witness, while publishers of “Novi List” published the exact same information one day earlier and were not indicted. Del Ponte has only gone after journalists who are critical of her and her tactics.
IWPR, Mesic, HRT, Novi List, and Globus have not been indicted for revealing the "secret witness."
The indictments against the Croatian journalists state that they face a possible prison sentence of up to 7 years. If given the maximum penalty, these journalists would have sentences similar to those handed out against convicted mass murderers and architects of ethnic cleansing.
Light sentences handed to convicted war criminals:
• Miodrag Jokic (IT-01-42), pleaded guilty on 27 August 2003
Sentence of 7 years – SHELLING OF DUBROVNIK
• Miroslav Deronjic (IT-02-61), pleaded guilty on 30 September 2003
Sentence of 10 years – ETHNIC CLEANSING OF BOSNIAN MUSLIMS
• Milan Babic (IT-03-72), pleaded guilty on 27 January 2004
Sentence of 13 years – PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIKA SRPSKA KRAJINA—GUILTY OF ETHNIC CLEANSING OF CROATS)
• Biljana Plavsic (IT-00-39&40/1), pleaded guilty on 2 October 2002
Sentence of 11 years – PLEADED GUILTY TO GENOCIDE
• Stevan Todorovic (IT-95-9/1), pleaded guilty on 13 December 2000
Sentence of 10 years – GUILTY OF CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
• Drazen Erdemovic (IT-96-22), pleaded guilty on 14 January 1998
Sentence of 5 years – PLEADED GUILTY TO EXECUTING 73 PEOPLE