FORMER STAFFER AT UN'S BALKANS WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL FACING CONTEMPT CHARGES

FORMER STAFFER AT UN'S BALKANS WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL FACING CONTEMPT CHARGES New York, Aug 27 2008 1:10PM A former prosecution spokesperson at the United Nations war crimes tribunal set up to deal with the Balkan conflicts of the 1990s was today charged with contempt of court for allegedly disclosing confidential information relating to the case of Slobodan Milošević.

Florence Hartmann faces two counts of contempt and has been ordered to appear before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY) on 15 September for an initial hearing, according to an order <"http://www.un.org/icty/pressreal/2008/pr1279e.htm">issued by the tribunal's trial chamber today in The Hague.

The order states that Ms. Hartmann is alleged to have twice disclosed information relating to confidential decisions of the ICTY appeals chamber in the case of Mr. Miloševi&#263;, the former Serbian leader.

The first occasion was in her book, <i>Peace and Punishment</i>, published in September last year, and the second was in an article entitled <i>Vital Genocide Documents Concealed</i>, published by the Bosnian Institute in January this year.

"Florence Hartmann knew that the information was confidential at the time disclosure was made, that the decisions from which the information was drawn were ordered to be filed confidentially, and that by her disclosure she was revealing confidential information to the public," the order said.
2008-08-27 00:00:00.000

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