ICTY delivers transcripts in local languages to Serbia under OSCE/ODIHR-led War Crimes Justice Project
THE HAGUE, 4 November 2010 - The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) will deliver a first set of trial transcripts produced in local languages to the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor tomorrow as part of a project that aims to enhance the capacity of judiciaries in the region to handle complex war crimes cases.
The War Crimes Justice Project is a 4-million euro regional project funded by the European Union and carried out by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), in partnership with the ICTY, the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, and OSCE field operations.
Until now, the trial transcripts were available only in the official languages of the ICTY, English and French.
"I have said on numerous occasions how regrettable and unfortunate it is that these transcripts are not available in the national languages of the countries concerned. I am thus very pleased that the War Crimes Justice Project is providing us with the opportunity to set that right," said Judge Patrick Robinson, the President of the Tribunal.
The Tribunal consulted national authorities to select the most relevant trial hearings for transcription. It has also taken into account similar work already done by the Serbian non-governmental organization the Humanitarian Law Centre.
The first set of transcripts sent to Serbia, totalling some 400 pages, was produced as a matter of priority after a request made by the Serbian War Crimes Prosecutor. Other transcripts are expected to be delivered in late November to the authorities of Croatia, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In September, the Tribunal delivered 500 pages of transcripts to the Croatian authorities. The Tribunal will produce a minimum of 60,000 transcript pages in local languages as part of the War Crimes Justice Project.
This Project is funded by the European Union.