Human Rights Organizations Doubtful about Trial of Florence Hartmann

Concerning the trial of journalist Florence Hartmann conducted before the Hague Tribunal for the alleged publication of confidential Appeals Chamber decisions in the Slobodan Milosevic case, human rights organizations from the successor states to the former Yugoslavia would like draw attention to the fact that the content of these decisions was the subject of many press reports and public debates after the International Court of Justice delivered it judgment in February 2007 in the case of BiH versus Serbia on charges of genocide and it is not clear why Ms. F. Hartmann has been singled out by the Hague judges.

In that period, human rights organizations in the entire region of the former Yugoslavia were openly discussing why the Hague Tribunal had not given the minutes of the Supreme Council of Defence of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the International Court of Justice and why the International Court of Justice had not demanded these documents from Serbia in the process of adjudicating the case of BiH versus Serbia. Human rights organizations extensively criticized the decision made by the Hague Tribunal to accept the request submitted by Serbia to conceal parts of the Supreme Council of Defence’s minutes as well as the decision of the International Court of Justice not to demand the aforementioned minutes from Serbia, explaining that they possessed enough documents to make a decision. Human rights organizations from Serbia demanded that the Government of Serbia reveal the minutes of the Supreme Council of Defence and remove existing doubts that it had concealed evidence concerning the state’s responsibility for the genocide committed in BiH. There is a serious suspicion that the Hague Tribunal, by its decision on protective measures applied to the minutes of the Supreme Council of Defence, as well as the International Court of Justice, by its indifference concerning the gathering of important evidence, protected Serbia from possible responsibility for participating in the genocide committed in Srebrenica.

Human rights organizations from the region of the former Yugoslavia call on Serbia to waive these protective measures and remove any doubt that the concealed parts of the Supreme Council of Defence’s minutes hide facts about the responsibility of Serbia in the commission of the genocide in Srebrenica. Human rights organizations also call on the Hague Tribunal to clarify its decision to accept the request of Serbia [to conceal the text] and remove doubts that such decisions of the Hague Tribunal are confidential solely to hide from the public the fact that it protected Serbia from responsibility for genocide committed in Srebrenica. In relation to this, the trial of Florence Hartmann should be public and accessible for monitoring by human rights organizations.

Action for Human Rights, Podgorica
Advocacy Training Resource Center, Prishtinë/Priština
Aleskandar Zeković, independent researcher of human rights abuses in Montenegro
Anima – Center for Women and Peace Education, Kotor
Association for Peace and Reconciliation, Gjakove/Đakovica
Association of Lawyers, Montenegro
Association of Women to Women, Sarajevo
B.a.B.e. – Women’s Human Rights Group, Croatia
Bureau for Human Rights, Tuzla
Center for Peace, Non-violence and Human Rights, Osijek
Censor – Association for the promotion of free media
Civic Action Pančevo, Pančevo
Civic Committee for Human Rights, Zagreb
Documenta, Zagreb
Eye of vision, Peje/Peć
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in BiH, Sarajevo
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Republika Srpska, Bijeljina
Helsinki Committee for Human Rights in Serbia, Belgrade
Helsinki Assembly of Citizens, Banja Luka
Humanitarian Law Center, Belgrade
INTEGRA, Prishtinë/Priština
KODI – Association of lawyers for women’s human rights, Peje/Peć
Kosova Rehabilitation Center for Torture Victims, Prishtinë/Priština
Leskovac Committee for human Rights, Leskovac
Montenegrin Women’s lobby
Partners Kosova, Prishtinë/Priština
Sandzak Committee for the Protection of Human Rights and Freedoms, Novi Pazar
Women’s Safe House – Podgorica
Women in Black, Belgrade
Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Belgrade
Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Podgorica
Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Prishtinë/Priština
Youth Initiative for Human Rights, Sarajevo
YUKOM – Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, Belgrade