Press Release . Communiqué de presse
(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)
TRIAL CHAMBER
CHAMBRE DE 1ERE INSTANCE

 

 

The Hague, 25 February 2004
JL/P.I.S./826e

 

MILOSEVIC CASE:

TRIAL CHAMBER III CONFIRMS CLOSING OF PROSECUTION CASE AND ISSUES ORDER RESCHEDULING AND SETTING THE TIME AVAILABLE TO PRESENT THE DEFENCE CASE

 

Today, Wednesday 25 February 2004, Trial Chamber III issued a Decision on the Prosecution’s ‘Notification of the Completion of its Case and Motion for the Admission of Evidence in Written Form’, in which it confirmed that ‘the Prosecution case is hereby closed’. In addition, the Trial Chamber issued a number of orders with regard to evidence that the Prosecution sought to be admitted.

The Trial Chamber also issued an Order ‘Rescheduling and Setting the Time Available to Present the Defence Case’. The Trial Chamber noted the ‘Order Concerning the Preparation and Presentation of the Defence Case’, issued by the Trial Chamber on 17 September 2003, ‘in which the Trial Chamber set out the procedures to be followed by the Accused in relation to the preparation and presentation of the Defence case’, and ‘Further Scheduling Order on Defence Case’.

The Trial Chamber further considered ‘that the illness of the Accused and the content of the Prosecution Motion have affected the date on which the prosecution case is to conclude and it is therefore necessary to reschedule the dates leading up to the commencement of the Defence case’.

 

Trial Chamber III ordered that:

       

    1. ‘Any Motion under Rule 98 bis shall be filed by the Accused or Amici Curiae by Monday, 8 March 2004;
       
    2. The Prosecution shall file its Response to any Rule 98 bis Motion by Monday, 22 March 2004
       
    3. The material the Accused is required to produce under Rule 65 ter (G), shall be filed by Monday, 12 April 2004;
       
    4. A Pre-Defence Conference shall be held on Monday, 17 May 2004, at 10 a.m.;
       
    5. The Defence case shall commence on Tuesday, 8 June 2004, and the Trial Chamber will sit in that week on Tuesday, 8 to Thursday, 10 June 2004;
       
    6. The Accused shall have 150 days to present his case, as set out above; and
       
    7. Further orders relevant to the Defence case will be made in due course’.

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