Registry of the European Court of Human Rights
Council of Europe
attn. Mr. P.M. Kempees
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
FRANKRIJK
faxnr. : 0033388412730/0033388412762
ref.: 77631/01 - S. Milosevic v. the Netherlands
14 March 2002
Dear Mr. Kempees,
As a result of a flu-period I am only now capable to respond to your letter dated 14 February 2002 in the above mentioned case.
For the recent
months I was barred by the Yugoslavia tribunal from all forms of communication
with my client Mr. Milosevic.
Acces to him was
not allowed any more.
This was simply done by reacting on my requests to meet with Mr. Milosevic with a response that these repeated requests would be under consideration. And by giving then no further reaction at all.
As a result of the Yugoslavia tribunal's interference precious time in the relationship between myself as a lawyer and Mr. Milosevic as my cliënt in the present procedure is lost.
This blockade of my acces to my cliënt Mr. Milosevic was also a severe violation of his human right of defence.
This exclusion, imposed to me by the Yugoslavia tribunal, was the final piece in the total elimination of all contacts with his legal advisers with respect to the tribunal's case against him, the legal proceedings before Dutch domestic cases and the proceedings before the European Court of human rights.
Only under the pressure of a summary injunction procedure, instituted by Mr. Milosevic before the Regional Court in the Hague, the Yugoslavia tribunal was finally willing to lift this ban, as is indicated in the enclosed letter by the tribunal dated 31 January 2002, but actually received more than two weeks later.
As soon as I will be able to do so, I will discuss this letter with Mr. Milosevic.
In any case, since the application filed by me with the registrary has, for the time being, a provisional character and is not yet completely implemented, inter alia as a result of the preventions from getting acces to Mr. Milosevic by the Yugoslavia tribunal, I will urgently request the Court not yet to deal with this case till further notice.
Yours faifthfully,
N.M.P. Steijnen