News

USIS Washington File

17 December 1999

Text: War Crimes Prosecutor Condemns Spying on Staff in Bosnia

(Del Ponte suggests espionage "officially sanctioned")  (420)

The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former
Yugoslavia (ICTY), Carla Del Ponte, issued a comment December 17 on
the announcement by the international peacekeeping force in
Bosnia-Herzegovina (SFOR) that Tribunal staff have been under
surveillance by Bosnian Croats.

SFOR's announcement came as no surprise, Del Ponte said. "It is clear
that the Tribunal has been targeted for espionage for some time and it
appears that this espionage has been officially sanctioned."

"This activity," she continued, "demonstrates the lengths to which
political and government leaders throughout the former Yugoslavia are
prepared to go to avoid investigation by this Tribunal."

Del Ponte went on to condemn such espionage as "outrageous" and
indicative of "blatant contempt of the Tribunal's work and its
jurisdiction," as well as in violation of the UN Charter and the UN
Convention on Privileges and Immunities.

Following is the text of the Prosecutor's statement:

(begin text)

International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia
The Hague
17 December 1999

STATEMENT BY THE OFFICE OF THE PROSECUTOR

The Prosecutor, Madame Carla Del Ponte, is not surprised by SFOR's
announcement today that the Bosnian Croats have been attempting to
carry out surveillance of Tribunal staff operating in Bosnia.

It is clear that the Tribunal has been targeted for espionage for some
time and it appears that this espionage has been officially
sanctioned. This activity demonstrates the lengths to which political
and government leaders throughout the former Yugoslavia are prepared
to go to avoid investigation by this Tribunal.

Without going into any details about the Tribunal's security
arrangements, the Prosecutor notes that procedures do exist to protect
our staff and information. And with regard to the so-called Operation
Puma, the Prosecutor is satisfied that her investigations were not
compromised in any way.

The Prosecutor condemns this outrageous behavior which represents a
blatant contempt of the Tribunal's work and its jurisdiction, as well
as being in breach of the UN Charter and the UN Convention on
Privileges and Immunities.

All parties in Bosnia must work with the Tribunal in bringing
perpetrators of war crimes to justice, otherwise achieving true and
long term reconciliation will remain only a dream.

The Prosecutor commends SFOR for its work in exposing the unlawful and
contemptuous behavior of the Bosnian Croats.

(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State)