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American Morning
International War Crimes Tribunal Prosecutor Discusses Upcoming Trial of Slobodan Milosevic
Aired June 29, 2001 - 11:15 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: We go back to a story that we visited last hour, the arrest and detention of Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbian leader who is now facing charges of crimes against humanity that are being leveled against him by the war crimes tribunal in The Hague.
Our Christiane Amanpour is covering that story for us from The Hague. We're joining her report now live.
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CORRESPONDENT: ... Carla Del Ponte has said that this transfer marks the real beginning of cooperation by the Belgrade authorities with this tribunal, and that nobody, no matter how high a position he or she holds, is immune from justice.
What does this mean in the history of this tribunal? You waited two years since he was indicted, eight years since this tribunal was created. What does this mean now?
CARLA DEL PONTE, WAR CRIMES PROSECUTOR: It is a great moment because one of the most responsible for horrendous crimes committed in the Balkans is now here and will face trial. That is extremely important for international justice.
AMANPOUR: You have had a long and tough struggle, let's call it, with the Belgrade authorities, to try to get this moment. Did you ever think it would happen? Did you think it would happen this quickly?
DEL PONTE: No, I was surprised just because it was anticipated in a week, because I was informed that next week, it would be possible. But yesterday as I was informed that the decree was suspended, I was a little bit pessimistic, and I said it will take months, so it was a surprise that the government of Serbia decided to follow the international obligation to transfer Milosevic.
AMANPOUR: You know that the president of Yugoslavia, Vojislav Kostunica has disagreed publicly with this extradition, and in your opening statement a few moments ago, you acknowledged that not everybody in Yugoslavia will agree and be pleased with this transfer. What is your message to the people of Yugoslavia who sometimes say that this tribunal is biased against the Serbian people?
DEL PONTE: It is important that Milosevic is here, and it is important that we can start with the trial, because all Serbs, all down in the Balkans, all the international community, will know exactly the facts of what occurred. So the truth is coming out during the hearings in trial. So it is important why Milosevic is here now.
AMANPOUR: And you said that it's important because it removes the collective guilt, if you like, or the collective responsibility?
DEL PONTE: Absolutely. Milosevic is responsible, personally responsible, for what he has done.
AMANPOUR: Give us an idea of the kind of evidence that you are going to bring into court. I know you're not going to go into specifics, but he's been indicted on charges of crimes against humanity, violation of laws and customs of war for his role in Bosnia. What kinds of things can we expect to hear from the prosecution in the trial?
DEL PONTE: You will listen in trial, but sure, our evidence will be witnesses and documents. That is the current evidence that we put on our trial.
AMANPOUR: And you're confident that you can secure a conviction?
DEL PONTE: I have no doubt about it, because if I had a doubt, I would not be issuing an indictment. If I issue an indictment, I am asking for a confirmation. It will be for me I am convinced I will reach the conviction of Milosevic, and sentence.
AMANPOUR: You've been saying -- and office has been saying -- for several weeks now that you believe you will eventually expand the indictment currently -- the Kosovo indictment -- and perhaps even bring new indictments for Milosevic's alleged role in the Bosnian and Croatian wars. You said today that you have amended the current indictment to add charges and to add new victims that you've discovered. Have you charged him now with genocide or not?
DEL PONTE: No, we could not charge Milosevic for genocide for what happened in Kosovo. We expand the charges against Milosevic, crimes against humanity, because we've discover five other sites and many more victims. So it is important that when he appears in the initial appearance that he has the Kosovo indictment almost done. Obviously, now, with Belgrade exhumation, we will have another part of the same.
AMANPOUR: You're talking about the bodies that have discovered in mass graves in Serbia?
DEL PONTE: Exactly, because we have now, for two days, gotten evidence in the relationship between Albanians in Kosovo.
AMANPOUR: You're saying that these were Kosovo civilians?
DEL PONTE: Yes, yes.
AMANPOUR: And you believe that this was an attempt to cover those civilian victims?
DEL PONTE: Absolutely.
AMANPOUR: And bodies were removed from mass graves in Kosovo.
DEL PONTE: Absolutely.
AMANPOUR: So this, perhaps, explains what people have been talking about: Where are the thousands of bodies that everybody sort of mentioned during the Kosovo war. You're saying a lot of them have been transferred?
DEL PONTE: Sure, in part, but obviously, it will be another long investigation.
AMANPOUR: How difficult and complicated is it to try a former head of state, particularly in these circumstances?
DEL PONTE: I cannot say it now. I don't think it's really different between a former president or another person who is responsible for such crimes. But let's say we must go in trial, and we will see, because it will be important to know how he defends himself. And if he chooses to defend himself, I hope that he will choose to defend himself by answering our questions.
AMANPOUR: What do you mean, if he chooses to defend himself? What is his option?
DEL PONTE: To defend himself personally, answering our questions. What I'm doing now with the accused Plavsic -- we are interviewing her now, and she's answering the questions.
AMANPOUR: Biljana Plavsic, who is the vice president of the Bosnian Serbs, the vice president to Radovan Karadzic, who is indicted and still at large.
What do you say to the governments you thanked so publicly for their help in his extradition. What do you say to them, that six years after Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic were indicted on genocide charges, they are still at large?
DEL PONTE: I will say it's enough now. After six years, they must be arrested and transferred to The Hague.
AMANPOUR: So do you think the NATO forces now will do it?
DEL PONTE: I hope so. I hope so, really.
AMANPOUR: On that note, thank you very much, indeed, Ms. Del Ponte.
DEL PONTE: Thank you. Thank you.
AMANPOUR: The chief prosecutor of the international war crimes tribunal at The Hague, Carla Del Ponte, speaking about the upcoming trial and about the charges leveled against Slobodan Milosevic.
As we've been saying, he will face his initial appearance in court on Tuesday morning, where the current indictment will be read. He will be asked whether he understands the charges, and he will then enter his plea of guilty or not guilty.
I'm Christiane Amanpour, CNN, reporting live, from The Hague.
HARRIS: Thanks, Christiane, for that live report and that live interview.
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