Celebici Judgement: New Appeals And Cross-Appeals

Since the last Tribunal Update, where we wrote that the Prosecution filed a notice to appeal against the acquittal of Zejnil Delalic and a mild sentence (seven years' imprisonment) given to Zdravko Mucic, and that the defence of Hazim Delic formally announced its appeal against the sentence of 20 years' imprisonment meted out to its client, two new notices to appeal and one notice to cross-appeal have been sent to the Court's Secretariat.

Meanwhile, the Prosecutor has opted for one more appeal: to the verdict and the sentence in the case of Hazim Delic, whom the Court "forgave" command responsibility, even though he was deputy commander of the Celebici camp at the time to which the indictment refers. Nor is he satisfied with the sentence meted out to Delic: in his case, the Prosecutor had requested a life sentence.

The appeal against the verdict and the sentence, was, also lodged by the Defence of the third co-accused Esad Landzo, sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. Finally, the defence of acquitted Zejnil Delalic responded to the Prosecutor's notice to appeal with its notice to cross-appeal, which implies that it is appealing against the Prosecutor's notice that he would appeal.

The circle is slowly closing: in order for it to be complete, there only remains for the Prosecutor to appeal against the sentence meted out to Esad Landzo, since he requested life imprisonment for him.