Transcript of the International Agency’s Joint Press Conference in CPIC

Subject: JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE – 1 October 2002

1.       The following attended the regular Press Conference held at the CPIC at 11:30 hours on Tuesday 1 October 2002:

2.       Thirty-one members of the media including five television crews attended the conference.

3.       The transcript of the questions and answers is attached.

Kevin Sullivan– OHR

Good morning everybody.  Thank you very much for coming and braving the terrible weather and the traffic jam outside.

As many of you may have noticed, the High Representative Paddy Ashdown has been the criss-crossing the country over the last two weeks, appealing directly to voters, the High Representatives, message is straight forward it comes in two parts.  The first part is vote and the second part is vote for reform.

Last night on television, the High Representative introduced a brochure, which lays out the reforms, which were agreed between the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities and the Peace Implementation Council, in the course of two meetings one in July, and one last week.  If implemented, these reforms would unlock foreign investment, generate wealth and jobs, clean up Bosnia and Herzegovina politics, and provide all the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina with an effective legal system, that they can trust.

The High Representative is calling on all the political parties to say before the election whether or not they support these reforms.  He invites the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, voters and the media to ask candidates the same question.

If politicians sign up to these reforms, the next government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, will have a mandate to implement policies that can make this country a very much better place in which, to live.  These policies can be turned into a detailed legislative agenda that replaces parliamentary squabbling and actually gets laws on to the statute books that benefit citizens.  I have copies to give you, after the press conference.

The High Representative will continue his campaign to get out the vote.  Today he is in Zenica and Doboj before moving on to Tuzla, this evening.  Tomorrow he will travel on from Tuzla to Brcko and then Bijeljina, and on Thursday, he will be in Travnik.  On Thursday evening, he will make a televised address to the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  He will remind voters of just how crucial these elections are and he will call on every citizen to exercise his or her right to vote.  After the press conference, I have more detailed media advisories listing exactly where, the High Representative, will be.

Principal Deputy High Representative Don Hays will be in Livno and Glamoc on Thursday.  Senior Deputy High Representative Gerhard Enver Schroembgens will be in Travnik and Kiseljak today, and in Visegrad and Gorazde tomorrow, and Senior Deputy High Representative Bernard Fassier will be in Prozor and Mostar tomorrow, they are all delivering the same message, which comes in two parts.  The first part is vote, and the second part is, vote for reform.

Bosnia and Herzegovina, is either going to move ahead towards Europe, or it is going to slip back towards bankruptcy.  The same choice faces countries in the rest of the region.  The members of the Stability Pact can turn themselves into a new centre of economic growth; they have that collective opportunity and it boils down to reform or fail.  The High Representative believes that the more voters turn out in the elections, the better the chance of a momentous victory for reform.  That is it from the Office of the High Representative.

Urdur Gunnarsdottir – OSCE

Good morning.  My message and statement comes in only one part.

As you all know the OSCE mission has focused on youth issues over a long period of time.  Therefore, Ambassador Beecroft Head of the Mission and a great music enthusiast, welcomes the opportunity to address the Europe for the Young concert, which is taking place tomorrow in Dom Armije.

The concert, given by a young pianist, Sasa Toperic, is a part of the Euro 26 project, which is organised by the Council of Europe, aimed at increasing youth travel and participation in cultural events.  It ties in with many of the OSCE’s programmes, which are intended to raise youth awareness and activity.  These programmes range from education reform, encouraging entrepreneur-ship and political participation and at last but not at least, encouraging young people to vote in, Saturday’s elections.  Thank you.

Kirsten Haupt – UNMIBH

Good morning.  I have three points for you.

First, a follow up to the special press conference that we had last Tuesday, on the accreditation on law enforcement agencies.  UNMIBH is now moving to accrediting law enforcement agencies in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  The first two will be accredited this week.  Tomorrow, it is going to be the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska and on Thursday, it is going to be the Ministry of Interior of Canton 1.  Special Representative of the Secretary General Jacques Paul Klein will be present at both ceremonies.  Separate media advisories will go out to inform you about the details of both events.

These first two accreditations are the result of a long process aimed at improving the organisational and institutional structures of law enforcement agencies.  Following extensive onsite assessments of these agencies, comprehensive recommendations were made to improve organisational structures of these law enforcement agencies in order for them to meet basic standards of democratic policing.  These recommendations focused among others on transparency and accountability, chains of command and management, performance assessment and promotions policy, internal control mechanisms and cost efficiency.

The accreditation of other law enforcement agencies will follow in the coming days and weeks, pending the implementation of the recommended measures aimed at meeting basic standards for democratic policing.  We will inform you in advance of these events.

The second point is about security planning for the elections.  The day of the elections is coming closer and local police are preparing themselves to allow for the elections to pass peacefully and for the citizens to cast their vote in a safe and secure environment.  UNMIBH is closely liaising with all Ministries of Interior and Public Security Centres on the issue of security.  All of the Ministries of Interior and Public Security Centres have worked out extensive security plans and have shared them with UNMIBH.

UNMIBH is pleased to see the level of efficiency and professionalism in the preparation of these plans and UNMIBH will also increase the number of IPTF officers present in the field, during the elections they will in particular be in the vicinity of polling stations.  While the responsibility for securing public peace and order lies with the local police, UNMIBH will stand ready to assist them, to ensure that the elections will take place peacefully.

The last point, I have.  The IPTF Commissioner Sven Frederiksen has withdrawn the provisional authorisation from Jovan Oklobdzija, due to his wartime conduct.  Mr. Oklobdzija, a police officer in Srpski Sanski Most, has been identified as having taken part in crimes against non-Serbs in the area of Kljuc in 1992.

In particular Mr. Oklobdzija, who at the time was a member of the Serb Armed Forces.  Was identified as having participated in the murder of three members of a Bosniak family in the village of Tocina, in July 1992 and in the murder of four members of a Bosniak family in Husici, on 11 July 1992.  He was also identified as having personally murdered a Bosniak woman in front of her home in Gornji Budelj, in the first week of August 1992.

The removal of provisional authorisation from Mr. Oklobdzija, also obliges the relevant police officials to ensure that an immediate investigation be launched into the acts described above.  Thank you.

Rafik Hodzic – ICTY

Good morning.  I have a quite a long statement, so bear with me.

Regarding, the unsealing of the indictment against, Ljubomir Borovcanin, which was confirmed on the 6 September, and unsealed on the 27 September.

Ljubomir Borovcanin was born in February 1960, in Han Pijesak, during the attack on the Srebrenica enclave by Bosnian Serb Forces, in July 1995, and the subsequent killings and executions of Bosniak men and boys.  Ljubomir Borovcanin served as Deputy Commander of the Bosnian Serb MUP Special Police Brigade.

On 10 July 1995, he was appointed Commander of a joint force of MUP Units and was ordered to report to Radislav Krstic, then Chief of Staff of the Drina Corps of the Bosnia Serb Army.  Units under his command were deployed in and around the areas of Potocari, Sandici, Kravica and Zvornik from, 12 July to 18 July 1995.

Ljubomir Borovcanin, together with other VRS and MUP officers and units as identified in this Indictment, was a member of and knowingly participated in a Joint Criminal Enterprise.  The common purpose of which was among other things, to forcibly transfer the women and children from the Srebrenica enclave to Kladanj, on 12 July and 13 July 1995.  And to capture, detain, summarily execute by firing squad, bury and rebury thousands of Bosniak men and boys, aged, 16 to 60, from the Srebrenica enclave, from 12 July, until and about 19 July 1995.

The Indictment charges, Ljubomir Borovcanin, on the basis of his individual criminal responsibility and superior criminal responsibility with one count of complicity in genocide, four counts of crimes against humanity and one count of violations of the laws or customs of war.

The Joint Criminal Enterprise in, whichLjubomir Borovcanin was a member and participant.  Was conceived and designed by General Ratko Mladic, and others on the, 11 and 12 July 1995, and administered and carried out by members of the VRS and MUP Forces through the time period and the means alleged in the Indictment.

Members of this Joint Criminal Enterprise also included:

General Ratko Mladic, the Commander of the VRS,

General Milenko Zivanovic, Commander of the Drina Corps, through about 8 o’clock, on 13 July 1995,

General Radislav Krstic, Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander, through about 8 p.m., on 13 July 1995, and thereafter Commander of the Drina Corps,

Colonel Vidoje Blagojevic Commander of the Bratunac Brigade,

Colonel Vinko Pandurevic Commander of the Zvornik Brigade,

Lieutenant Colonel Dragan Obrenovic, Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff of the Zvornik Brigade,

Momir Nikolic, Assistant Commander for Security and Intelligence of the Bratunac Brigade,

Dragan Jokic, Chief of Engineering of the Zvornik Brigade.

And various other individuals and military and police units including, but not limited to:

Units of Drina Corps: Elements of the Bratunac Brigade, elements of the Zvornik Brigade, elements of the Valsenica Brigade and elements of the 5^th Engineering Battalion.

Units of the VRS Main Headquarters: elements of the 10^th Sabotage Detachment and elements of the 65^th Protection Regiment.

Units of the Brigade of Special Police of MUP: elements of the Jahorina Training Centre, elements of the 2^nd detachment from Sekovici and elements of the 1^st Company of the Zvornik Centre.

Individual Police Units: elements of the Bratunac Municipal Police, elements of the Milici Municipal Police and elements of the Zvornik Municipal Police.  Thank you.

Jennifer Brown – IOM

Good morning from IOM.  I have one announcement.

IOM is announcing the extension of its, Return of Judges and Prosecutors to Minority Areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina Programme.

Through this programme IOM will provide return transportation costs for the judge or prosecutor and his or her dependants, a monthly housing allowance and assistance with property claims, if necessary.  The court or prosecutors office where they will work also receives an institutional grant from IOM, which can be used towards the purchase of professional equipment or the rehabilitation of the courts or prosecutors offices.

Following Thursday’s, announcement by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and in close co-operation with the Bosnia and Herzegovina Government, the Independent Judicial Commission and, the Office of the High Representative.  IOM is extending the programme to assist up to 200 qualified judges and prosecutors return to minority areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  IOM will support the reintegration of these professionals across the two Bosnia and Herzegovina Entities, the Federation and Republika Srpska.  Only judges and prosecutors that have been directly appointed by the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council will be eligible for assistance.  There is more information on the press release outside, it will be sent out this afternoon.  Thank you.

Lieutenant Commander Yves Vanier – SFOR

No statement from SFOR today.

Kevin Sullivan – OHR

Do we have any questions?

Questions and Answers

Q:            Merdijana Sadovic – ABC

A question for the ICTY is it true that Borovcanin, indeed planned to turn himself over to the ICTY and suddenly changed his mind, and disappeared and why did that happened?

A:        Rafik Hodzic – ICTY

            To the first question, yes it is true.  To the second, we do not know.

Q:            Merdijana Sadovic – ABC

            Also, did you inform the Republika Srpska Government, about this indictment?

A:        Rafik Hodzic – ICTY

The Prosecutors Office announced yesterday, that it will seek an explanation regarding, Borovcanin’s, disappearance and it is public now.  The indictment is public for everybody, not only the Republika Srpska Government, but everybody else.  Whether it will also be submitted to them, that it is something the Prosecutors Office, would have to answer.  I do not know and I think that is the usual procedure, that they will deliver it.

Q:            Merdijana Sadovic – ABC

            Was the government informed before the indictment was made public?

A:        Rafik Hodzic – ICTY

            I have no comment.

Q:            Merdijana Sadovic – ABC

            Because…

A:        Rafik Hodzic – ICTY

…On that you will have to ask the Prosecutor, they handle such matters negotiations and whether the government was involved or not.  They would have to answer that.

Q:            Merdijana Sadovic – ABC

The reason I am asking you this is that the government now claims they have never received the indictment or the arrest order?

A:        Rafik Hodzic – ICTY

As I said.  That is something you would have to ask the Prosecutor for their comment.  I cannot divulge that information they would have to do that.

Q:            Merdijana Sadovic – ABC

Is there anything you can do now apart from requesting an explanation from the Republika Srpska Government?

A:        Rafik Hodzic – ICTY

The Republika Srpska Government, if the individual is on the territory of the Republika Srpska, has the obligation to arrest the person and turn them over and that is valid not only for Borovcanin, but everybody else.  An explanation is being asked for this particular situation because Borovcanin, was supposed to surrender and on the territory of the Republika Srpska.

Q:            Sabina Arslanagic – AFP

Again for the ICTY, had they not been informed how come you are asking for an explanation from them, why would they know?

A:        Rafik Hodzic – ICTY

As I said, this is something that the Prosecutors Office announced, yesterday.  They are the body that handles such negotiations and they have said that, Borovcanin was ready to surrender and that they have made all the arrangements to do so and that it was supposed to happen in the Republika Srpska.  Whether the government was involved or not they would have to tell you, I cannot tell you that and the explanation is being sort from the Government of the Republika Srpska, because, he was supposed to surrender on the territory of the Republika Srpska.  If we say that arrangements were made, it is clear that he was supposed to come to a place from where he was supposed to be taken to The Hague, and that place was in the Republika Srpska.

            Kevin Sullivan – OHR

Do you have anymore questions?  Thank you very much.