The Tribunal's President, Judge Theodor Meron, will address the United Nations Security Council today at 15:00 local time in New York -- that is 21:00 in The Hague - to provide an update on the work of the Tribunal and the progress made towards the completion of its mandate. The President's address will be immediately followed by that of the Tribunal's Prosecutor. Press releases and copies of the President and Prosecutor's speeches will be issued subsequently.
A delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross completed its regular inspection of the Tribunal's Detention Unit last week. The ICRC is internationally renowned for its independent work in monitoring detention facilities throughout the world to ensure that they meet the internationally recognised standards of detention. The ICRC has been visiting the Detention Unit on a yearly basis since 1995. During such visits, the ICRC also holds individual meetings with ICTY detainees. The Tribunal prides itself with the high standards of detention it provides, and its continued efforts in ensuring that all accused are treated in accordance with the highest international detention standards.
Last Friday, the Chamber in the case of Ratko Mladić issued a decision in which it adopted the Prosecution's proposal to limit its presentation of evidence to a selection of 106 crimes, instead of 196 initially scheduled crimes, and to reduce the number of municipalities in the indictment from 23 to 15. The Chamber adopted the Prosecution's proposal in the interests of a fair and expeditious trial, and ordered that the amended indictment be filed within two weeks of the date of its decision. A further initial appearance in the case will be held tomorrow at 16:00 in Courtroom I, during which the Accused will be asked to enter a plea to the third amended indictment, which added crimes committed in the village of Bišina in eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, in July 1995. This will be followed by a Status Conference.
In the case of Vojislav Šešelj, the Registrar informed the Tribunal's President on Monday of his decision to continue monitoring Šešelj's privileged communications. The Accused has requested the President to review the Registrar's original decision to monitor all his communications with his legal associates in accordance with Rule 65(B) of the Rules of Detention.
