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More about Article 19…

As you already know, Florence Hartmann was convicted on 19 July 2011 by the ICTY Appeals Chamber for disclosing the "legal reasoning" applied by the Appeals judges when they decided in 2005 and 2006 to favor the financial interests of a State (Serbia) over the right of the victims (of the Srebrenica genocide) to know the truth and to seek compensation for the suffering incurred.

In addition to her criminal conviction for an offense (the disclosure of "the legal reasoning" of a judicial decision) that has never existed before in any criminal law, even more so in international criminal law which the Tribunal has competence to apply, Florence was sentenced to pay a 7,000 euro fine in two installments, the last one payable prior to 19 September 2011.

Thanks to your kind donations, the whole amount was raised by mid-September.

Florence was thus able to inform the President of the ICTY who also preside the Appeals Chamber that convicted her, that the funds required had been placed on time in the French bank account "Comité de soutien à Florence Hartmann" at the Crédit Mutuel in Villeneuve d’Ascq (France).

So far, only the ICTY Registry had reacted publicly stating that in late August and then in late September it had notified the Appeals Judges that the fine had not been paid to the ICTY.
To recover the deposited funds, the ICTY will have to seek assistance of France and accept so that another judiciary reviews the procedure and the judgment against Florence Hartmann. For, only a conviction obtained as a result of a due process, in respect of the law and international conventions can be enforced.

But Florence Hartmann and her counsels have identified a large number of violations, each of which can lead to the nullification of the judgment. They, therefore, wish to present the evidence supporting their allegations in front a judiciary, independent of the ICTY, before transferring to the ICTY the funds deposited into the French bank account.

By mid-October, the ICTY judges are due to elect their new president and vice-president who will take over at the end of November 2011. The two main candidates are the very same judges Florence Hartmann had criticized in her book and those who have intervened all along the proceedings to secure her conviction.

We will continue to keep you informed and wish, together with Florence, to sincerely thank you for your solidarity and generosity.

The Support Committee

Association Sarajevo

Comité Kosovo

Fédération Nationale des Mères pour la Paix