Mechanism Information Programme participates in webinar about media evidence before the ICTY

On 3 March 2022, the Mechanism’s Information Programme for Affected Communities (MIP) participated in a webinar titled “Journalism as a First Draft of History: Media as evidence and journalists as witnesses before the Hague Tribunal.” The event was organized by the Humanitarian Law Center Kosovo, RECOM Reconciliation Network and Mediacentar Sarajevo as a part of the Mediacentar Sarajevo’s “Journalism as the First Draft of History” project.

MIP Researcher Mr. Nemanja Stjepanović spoke about the importance of photographs, video recordings and other materials collected by journalists during the 1990s conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, which were later admitted into evidence during trials before the ICTY and Mechanism. He also discussed the role of journalists in the trials, noting that many journalists assisted the two tribunals through their testimonies.

Together with Mr. Stjepanović, a number of other speakers took part in the webinar: Mr. Veton Surroi, a journalist from Kosovo; Mr. Bekim Blakaj, the director of the Humanitarian Law Center Kosovo; and Mr. Zlatko Dizdarević, a journalist from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The discussion was moderated by Mr. Boro Kontić of Mediacentar Sarajevo.

The participants spoke about the role of journalism both in circumstances of war and in the context of current challenges faced by professional journalists.

The MIP’s participation in the webinar formed part of the Programme’s efforts to support projects and events organised by civil society organisations that are active in the field of transitional justice in the region of the former Yugoslavia.

The aim of the MIP is to improve the knowledge and understanding of citizens and communities in the countries of the former Yugoslavia about the crimes committed during the conflicts of the 1990s, based on ICTY and Mechanism cases. The MIP is generously supported by the European Union and the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.