The Blaškić trial: Politics, the Control of Information and Command Responsibility
In: Southeastern EuropeSearch for other papers by Eric Gordy in
Current site
Google Scholar
In one of ICTY’s first prosecutions of a high-ranking official, Tihomir Blaškić’s 45-year sentence was heralded as an exemplar of decisive justice when it was handed down in 2000. With much of the conviction reversed and the sentence reversed on appeal three years later, the case looked less secure. Much of the conviction and appeal turned on issues of command responsibility, where the ICTY’s jurisprudence set a precedent going beyond that established by post-World War II jurisprudence. While this constituted an advance in law and a step toward demonstrating political responsibility, public perception of the trial treated it as a triumph for the accused.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
-
B-92 Vesti Dana, 6 June 2011. “Mladić bi mogao da optuži Srbiju:” <http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?dd=06&mm=06&nav_category=64&nav_id=516913&yyyy=2011>.
-
Bantekas I July 1999. “The Contemporary Law of Superior Responsibility,” American Journal of International Law, Vol. 93, N. 3.
-
Bass G. J.2000. Stay the Hand of Vengeance: The Politics of War Crimes Tribunals (Princeton: Princeton University Press): 3.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript: 24 June 1997.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Maj. Lars Baggesen): 22 August 1997: 1980.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Col. Watters), 10 November 1997: 3456-3458.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Payam Ahkavan) 15 December 1997: 5296-5298.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Muhamed Mujezinović) 20 August 1997: 1660
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Col. Watters) 11 November 1997: 3612.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Maj. Hunter) 11 December 1997: 5099-5100.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Maj. Buffini) 17 December 1997, passim.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Munib Kajmović) 19 January 1998: 5639-5640.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Stjepan Mesić) 18 March 1998: 7209-7210.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Jeremy Ashdown) 19 March 1998: passim.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Capt. Lanthier) 7 May 1998: 8332-8333.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Brig. Duncan) 3 June 1998: 9074-9075.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Capt. Lanthier) 7 May 1998: 8302, 8305.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Capt. Liebert) 12 May 1998: 8747-8748.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Opening statement of atty Hayman) 7 September 1998: 11151-11152.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Brig. Marin) 24 September 1998: 2072.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Testimony of Brig. Marin) 1 October 1998: 12571.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Prosecution closing statement) 26 July 1999: 4527, 4570, 4572.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Prosecution closing statement) 27 July 1999: 24743-24744.
-
Blaškić Trial Transcript (Defence closing statement) 29 July 1999: 25005.
-
Blaškić Appeal Transcript (Testimony of Maj. Watkins) 9 December 2003: 286-287.
-
Blaškić Appeal Transcript (Testimony of protected witness BA4) 10 December 2003: 482, 492.
-
Blaškić Appeal Transcript (Defence closing statement) 16 December 2003: 562-563.
-
Cohen D., 1999. “Beyond Nuremberg: Individual Responsibility for War Crimes,” in Hesse C., Post R. (eds.),Human Rights in Political Transitions: Gettysburg to Bosnia (New York: Zone Books): 53–92.
-
Crawford C. 31 May 2011 “Ratko Mladić and the fine art of octopus killing,” The Commentator: <http://www.thecommentator.com/article/194/ratko_mladic_and_the_fine_art_of_octopus_killing>.
-
Gordy E. 27 July 2011 “ICTY vs. Mladić-Hadžić: Good defence, better history,” OpenDemocracy: <http://www.opendemocracy.net/eric-gordy/icty-vs-mladi%C4%87-had%C5%BEi%C4%87-good-defence-better-history>.
-
Gušić B. Undated (interview with Anto Nobilo), “Herceg Bosna je faktički djelovala kao agent Republike Hrvatske:” Viewed 17 August 2011: Islamska Zajednica Norrköping: <http://www.izninfo.org/intervjuantonobilop.htm>.
-
Hayman, R. 17 April 1997. Trial Transcipt: 216.
-
Hodak, Z. 25 April 1996. Trial Transcript: 6.
-
Human Security Centre. 2005. Human Security Report 2005: War and Peace in the 21st Century (New York: Oxford University Press).
-
Human Security Report Project. 2010. Human Security Report 2009/2010: The Causes of Peace and the Shrinking Costs of War (Pre-publication: Vancouver: HSRP): <http://www.hsrgroup.org/human-security-reports/human-security-report.aspx>.
-
International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia Since 1991, The Prosecutor vs. Zejnil Delalić, Zdravko Mucić also known as “Pavo”, Hazim Delić and Esad Landžo also known as “Zenga:” IT-96-21-T: Verdict of 16 November 1998: 127.
-
ICTY, 3 March 2000. The Prosecutor vs. Tihomir Blaškić: Judgement (IT-95-14-T): p. 68 para. 204.
-
ICTY, 26 February 2001. The Prosecutor vs. Dario Kordić and Mario Ćerkez: Judgement (IT-95-14/2-T).
-
ICTY, 29 July 2004. The Prosecutor vs. Tihomir Blaškić: Appeal Judgement (IT-95-14-A): 16 para. 41.
-
ICTY, 15 April 2011. The Prosecutor vs. Ante Gotovina, Mladen Markač and Ivan Čermak: Judgement (IT-06-90-T): Vol. II: 1171-1177, paras. 2303-2319.
-
Lamont C.2010. International Criminal Justice and the Politics of Compliance (Lanham: Ashgate)
-
Shahram D.2004. “Revisiting the Blaškić sentence: Some reflections on the sentencing jurisprudence of the ICY,” 4:3: 321–348.
-
SENSE News Agency, 10 May 2011. “Why Ivan Čermak was acquitted:” <http://www.sense-agency.com/icty/why-ivan-cermak-was-acquitted.29.html?news_id=12773>.
-
The Prosecutor of the Tribunal Against Tihomir Blaškić: Second Amended Indictment: IT-95-14: 25 April 1997: 2.
-
Unsigned, 2000. “Champagne on hold until big fish served up,” 4 April 2000.
-
Unsigned, 20 September 2011. “Josipović meets Croatian emigrants living in New York,” DailyTPortal: <http://daily.tportal.hr/149386/Josipovic-meets-Croat-emigrants-living-in-New-York.html>.
-
Wedgwood, R. 17 April 1997. Trial Transcript: 322.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 450 | 89 | 23 |
| Full Text Views | 153 | 2 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 78 | 3 | 1 |
The Blaškić trial: Politics, the Control of Information and Command Responsibility
In: Southeastern EuropeSearch for other papers by Eric Gordy in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
In one of ICTY’s first prosecutions of a high-ranking official, Tihomir Blaškić’s 45-year sentence was heralded as an exemplar of decisive justice when it was handed down in 2000. With much of the conviction reversed and the sentence reversed on appeal three years later, the case looked less secure. Much of the conviction and appeal turned on issues of command responsibility, where the ICTY’s jurisprudence set a precedent going beyond that established by post-World War II jurisprudence. While this constituted an advance in law and a step toward demonstrating political responsibility, public perception of the trial treated it as a triumph for the accused.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 450 | 89 | 23 |
| Full Text Views | 153 | 2 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 78 | 3 | 1 |