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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

National Council for ICTY responds to requests

Belgrade, 24 June 2008

The National Council for Cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) held its session today and made a decision to send documentation and responses to the Hague tribunal’s prosecution, in line with its three requests, for the purposes of this court’s proceedings. Two witnesses were also released from the obligation of keeping official secrets.

According to a statement issued by the National Council, positive responses were made to six requests by the defence which related to submitting documentation needed for preparing defence before the ICTY.

The National Council also examined yesterday’s report sent by ICTY President Fausto Pocar to the UN Security Council concerning the alleged lack of cooperation by Serbia with the Hague tribunal.

It was concluded that in the case of General Aleksandar Dimitrijevic Serbian authorities were constantly in touch with the ICTY president and secretary and cooperated with them, and that Serbian authorities sent regular reports to ICTY representatives on steps taken concerning the issue.

The National Council is taken aback by president Pocar’s reaction and the double standards applied in the tribunal’s work. In the case against Ramus Haradinaj, several witnesses were killed; however, the ICTY did not react and did not report that to the Security Council.

Also, participants in the session reiterated once more the fact that all witnesses requested by the ICTY Prosecutor’s Office were released from the obligation of keeping official secrets (more of 500 of them), but Serbia was reported for lack of cooperation to the Security Council after only one person failed to appear as a witness due to health problems.

The National Council concluded that the Republic of Serbia in this case, just as in all other cases, fully cooperates with the ICTY and that it will do everything to facilitate the appearance of Aleksandar Dimitrijevic before the tribunal.

The Republic of Serbia is fully aware that cooperation with the ICTY is not only its international, but moral obligation in order to establish the truth and execute justice in case of crimes committed in armed conflicts in the territory of the former Yugoslavia, it is added in the statement.