{"id":2122,"date":"2021-08-28T17:19:50","date_gmt":"2021-08-28T16:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.balkan-conflicts-research.com\/archive\/?page_id=2122"},"modified":"2021-08-29T08:19:27","modified_gmt":"2021-08-29T07:19:27","slug":"small-bites-3-the-icty-bored-to-distraction","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.balkan-conflicts-research.com\/archive\/small-bites-3-the-icty-bored-to-distraction\/","title":{"rendered":"Small Bites 3 The ICTY: Bored to Distraction"},"content":{"rendered":"

Small Bites 3 \u00a0The ICTY: \u00a0Bored to Distraction<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Hague Tribunal was from the outset notorious for the inordinate length of its trials. When Slobodan Milosevic died in custody his trial had been underway for 4 years and yet the case for his defence had barely begun.\u00a0\u00a0All the other major cases were similarly protracted. But why was this when justice delayed is justice denied?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Every indication points to a fundamental lack of firm evidence. Proper criminal trials are preceded by independent professional investigations – a core requirement and feature of due process. In the case of the ICTY this simply did not happen. No such investigations took place.\u00a0\u00a0The tribunal had only a small team of investigators, selected and employed by the ICTY, \u00a0to gather information from \u2018eyewitnesses\u2019, western intelligence sources and media coverage.<\/p>\n

By contrast a proper, police-style investigation would have a structured and disciplined course, checking thoroughly all claims and assertions and collecting hard evidence to support or disprove them.<\/p>\n

In the absence of methodically gathered evidence, the Hague prosecutors were forced to use their time in court to indulge in endless fishing expeditions which they hoped would land sufficient facts to make their case or at least create a strong enough whiff of guilt to give some credence to a conviction.<\/p>\n

Proper courts would never allow such abuse of process. Unsupported cases of this kind would not even secure an indictment, let alone merit a court hearing.<\/p>\n

But the Hague Tribunal was not created to dispense justice \u2013 its job was to secure convictions. It was a political not a judicial construct.\u00a0\u00a0Half its judges had no formal legal training or professional court room experience.\u00a0\u00a0They were handpicked and appointed to produce a predetermined outcome. The tribunal was about confirming prejudice not obtaining justice.<\/p>\n

How did they get away with it? Perhaps the crucial factor was that the excruciating length and dullness of ICTY proceedings caused most journalists to lose interest within a week or two of a trial starting. They were bored to death while the accused were unjustly being\u00a0\u00a0sentenced for life.\u00a0\u00a0When verdicts were finally handed\u00a0\u00a0down months or even years later, few journalists felt well-enough informed to ask challenging questions. That is all it takes for a travesty to be seen as truth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Small Bites 3 \u00a0The ICTY: \u00a0Bored to Distraction The Hague Tribunal was from the outset notorious for the inordinate length of its trials. When Slobodan Milosevic died in custody his trial had been underway for 4 years and yet the case for his defence had barely begun.\u00a0\u00a0All the other major cases were similarly protracted. But … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Small Bites 3 The ICTY: Bored to Distraction”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nSmall Bites 3 The ICTY: Bored to Distraction - Balkan Conflicts Research Team<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.balkan-conflicts-research.com\/archive\/small-bites-3-the-icty-bored-to-distraction\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Small Bites 3 The ICTY: Bored to Distraction - Balkan Conflicts Research Team\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Small Bites 3 \u00a0The ICTY: \u00a0Bored to Distraction The Hague Tribunal was from the outset notorious for the inordinate length of its trials. 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