ICTY Indicted Journalist Requests Discussion with UN

ICTY INDICTED JOURNALIST REQUESTS DISCUSSION WITH UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL MEMBERS REGARDING DEL PONTE'S INDICTMENTS AGAINST CROATIAN JOURNALISTS

April 20, 2006 – Zagreb, Croatia: Croatian journalist, publicist and ICTY indictee for “contempt of the tribunal,” Domagoj Margetic, visited United Nations (UN) Security Council embassies located in Croatia.

The indicted journalist presented a letter to the UN Security Countil permanent members demanding they, at a minimum, discuss these indictments issued against Croatian journalists.

The letter submitted demands from the UN Security Council the following:

- begin discussions regarding ICTY indictments against Croatian journalists;
  
- discuss if these indictments against Croatian journalists are in violation of the mandate which was given to ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla del Ponte, by a UN Security Council resolution;

- request from the UN Security Council members they provide an authentic explanation of the ICTY Statute at The Hague which was created and established by the UN Security Council. Furthermore,  the UN Security Council needs to decide if the ICTY has the mandate to prosecute journalists according to the ICTY Statute as mandated by Security Council.  Thus, the main issue for the UN Security Council to decide is if the ICTY has jurisdiction to prosecute journalists in the manner which Del Ponte has done by issuing indictments against Croatian Journalists;

- conclude that the ICTY has no jurisdiction to prosecute journalists and demand a stop to this purely political process against indicted Croatian journalists;

- investigate the ICTY regarding indicted Croatian journalists under a Special Commission.  In addition, invite indicted Croatian journalists to testify against Del Ponte's political prosecution against her bogus indictments against the journalists.