Since October 2005 the ICTY has adopted a set of reforms and measures aimed at increasing the efficiency of trial and appeals chambers, which at one time this year enabled the prosecution of 25 people in six simultaneous trials, said Fausto Pocar, president of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
He underlined that three major trials, with 21 indictees, started in April and July, which he added would make it possible to wrap them up in 2008.
Trial chambers made 447 rulings on pre-trial motions, heard two cases of contempt of court and reached verdicts in four cases, while the Appeals Chamber passed 144 decisions and orders, four verdicts and one decision to reconsider a verdict, Pocar said.
Thanks to those efforts, cases against 97 of a total of 161 indictees have been closed. Of the 64 indictees awaiting the completion of their proceedings, 15 have been sentenced and have appealed their verdicts, 24 are still on trial, and 15 are in a pre-trial stage. Four indictees are waiting for a decision on their cases to be referred to national judiciaries and six are still on the run, the ICTY president said.
Pocar again voiced deep concern regarding the six fugitives, particularly Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, saying that the ICTY would not close its door without the two having been brought to justice.
He noted with regret that Serbian authorities, despite numerous promises, had not made any progress in attempts to locate, arrest and hand over Mladic, nor had Bosnian Serb authorities done anything to arrest Karadzic.
Speaking about cooperation among former Yugoslav countries, Pocar did not mention other problems, but indicated that the ICTY was very much interested in strengthening the rule of law in the national judiciaries in that region.
The ICTY has been implementing training programmes to enable prosecutors' offices and courts to continue its work and prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity, Pocar said.
He announced the continuation of reforms that would enable the ICTY to realise its exit strategy and complete its mission in four years.