SIMONOVIC EXPLAINS CROATIA'S OBJECTION TO SUBPOENA

( Vidi vijest: 5248 ) ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - The International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Wednesday announced the Appeals Chamber will issue a decision on Croatia's complaint relating to a subpoena duces tecum on 29 October, two weeks later than announced at the conclusion of a discussion on the complaint. The ICTY's yesterday statement said that Croatia objected to the decision of the Trial Chamber which establishes "the authority and power of the Tribunal to issue compulsory orders to States and individuals, including high government officials, for the production of documents required for the preparation or conduct of a trial". A discussion on Croatia's objection to the subpoena was held in The Hague on 22 September. Croatia's Ambassador to the UN, Ivan Simonovic, who headed a Croatian delegation, then said that Croatia did not object to the ICTY issuing compulsory orders to States, but to the subpoena duces tecum, an order under threat of punishment, by which the ICTY surpassed its jurisdiction. According to its Statute, the ICTY is not authorized to punish States. Croatia did not object to the issuance of the subpoena to individuals either, but to its issuance to high government officials while they act as official persons, Simonovic had said. (hina) ha 231939 MET oct 97