First mission in relation to the monitoring of the Šešelj et al. contempt of court case concludes today in Belgrade

The inaugural mission of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), in relation to monitoring the proceedings of the Šešelj et al. case, concluded today in Belgrade, Serbia. This multi-day mission, conducted by the Officer-in-Charge of the Mechanism Registry's Hague Branch, Mr. Samuel Algozin, and the appointed Monitor, Mr. Brent Hicks, focused on introducing the Monitor, in preparation for the start of the proceedings of the referred case.

The case involves allegations of contempt of court against Mr. Vojislav Šešelj, Mr. Miljan Damjanović, Mr. Miroljub Ignjatović, Ms. Ljiljana Mihajlović, and Mr. Ognjen Mihajlović, and has been referred to Serbia for trial.

During the mission, the delegation held working-level meetings with relevant Serbian authorities, underscoring the Mechanism's commitment to effectively monitoring the Šešelj et al. case.

Mechanism Registrar Mr. Abubacarr Tambadou highlighted the importance of the mission, stating: This introductory mission has laid crucial groundwork for continued collaboration with Serbian authorities, whose cooperation is essential to the monitoring process. It makes an important step toward establishing a durable monitoring regime for the Šešelj et al. case. I am deeply appreciative of the Serbian authorities' support in facilitating the first official mission.

As part of his ongoing role as Monitor, Mr. Hicks will continue to monitor the progress of the referred case and provide regular updates on its status to the President of the Mechanism.

Case Background:

On 9 October 2024, Mechanism Registrar Abubacarr Tambadou issued an Order Appointing Monitor to oversee the proceedings in Serbia related to the contempt allegations against the defendants and report on their status.

On 29 February 2024, the case was referred to the Republic of Serbia, following a judicial decision by the Mechanism's Single Judge, Liu Daqun.

On 11 August 2023, Mechanism confirmed an indictment against Mr. Vojislav Šešelj, Mr. Miljan Damjanović, Mr. Miroljub Ignjatović, Ms. Ljiljana Mihajlović, and Mr. Ognjen Mihajlović case involves allegations of contempt of court related to the proceedings of both the Mechanism and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The defendants are accused of knowingly interfering with the administration of justice, disclosing confidential information about protected witnesses, and failing to comply with court orders to cease the publication of confidential material.