ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Carla Del Ponte, said in Zagreb on Wednesday that a defendant's answering to charges from outside of the Hague
tribunal's courtroom was possible, but hardly imaginable.
ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - The chief prosecutor of the International
Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), Carla Del
Ponte, said in Zagreb on Wednesday that a defendant's answering to
charges from outside of the Hague tribunal's courtroom was
possible, but hardly imaginable. #L#
Del Ponte said she could not imagine a defendant facing charges from
his home or a hospital. Theoretically, it is possible, but
normally, facing charges is done before judges because that is an
important part of the procedure, Del Ponte said in an interview for
Croatian Television.
In its requests to the tribunal's Chamber of Appeals in the case
against General Janko Bobetko, the Croatian government has
emphasised a possibility of the general facing charges for crimes
committed in Medak Pocket in 1993 via a direct video-link from
Zagreb, due to his health problems.
Asked how hospital treatment of General Bobetko would affect the
process, Del Ponte replied that his health condition could be a
reason for him not being transferred to The Hague.
The tribunal has already seen such examples, she added.
The last such case concerned General Momir Talic, indicted of
genocide in Bosnia, whose trial was postponed last month after it
was confirmed that he had fallen seriously ill.
The tribunal released him from custody and he returned to
Belgrade.
(hina) lml sb