The Hague-based UN court charged Josip Jovic, a former editor-in-chief of the Slobodna Dalmacija daily, and Marijan Krizic, a former editor-in-chief of the Hrvatsko Slovo weekly, with one count of contempt of court for revealing the identity and testimony of a protected witness of the prosecution at the trial of Bosnian Croat General Tihomir Blaskic in November 1997.
"On Friday, 9 September 2005, Judge (Alphonse) Orie issued decisions confirming and unsealing indictments against Josip Jovic and Marijan Krizic, pursuant to Rule 77 of the Tribunal"s Rules of Procedure and Evidence," reads a press release issued on the tribunal's web site.
According to the indictment, "Josip Jovic was the editor-in-chief of the Croatian daily newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija between the dates of 27 November 2000 to 29 December 2000 relevant to the charge when he 'knowingly and willfully interfered with the administration of justice by publishing the identity of a protected ICTY witness, by publishing the fact that the witness testified in closed session of the Tribunal, and by publishing excerpts of that testimony, in whole or in part, and by directly violating the 1 December 2000 court order'."
"At times relevant to the indictment, Marijan Krizic was the editor-in-chief of the Croatian weekly newspaper Hrvatsko Slovo. The indictment alleges that between November 2004 to December 2004 Marijan Krizic disclosed 'the identity of a protected witness, the extracts of closed-session testimony, and the fact that the protected witness had testified in non-public proceedings before the Tribunal'," the release reads.
Both Jovic and Krizic are expected to initially appear before the tribunal on 26 September to enters pleas.
On 26 April this year, the Hague tribunal issued identical indictments against Domagoj Margetic, a former editor-in-chief of the Hrvatsko Slovo newspaper and Stjepan Seselj, the publisher of the newspaper, accusing them of contempt of court for disclosing the identity and testimony of the protected witness at the Blaskic trial. It has been established that the protected witness is the current Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, who testified as a prosecution witness in November 1997. The Hrvatsko Slovo paper published his testimony in November and December 2004.
Also on 26 April this year, the UN court indicted the editor of the Zadar-based Hrvatski List paper, Ivica Marijacic, and a correspondent, a retired general and former intelligence agent, Markica Rebic, for disclosing the identity and testimony of a protected witness at the Blaskic trial. That witness was a former Dutch UN officer deployed in Bosnia as a member of the UN mission in that country.
At their initial appearance, Margetic, Seselj, Marijacic and Rebic pleaded not guilty. The main hearing is due in October.