Hague Tribunal president says "staff is leaving"

Hague Tribunal president says "staff is leaving"

THE HAGUE -- Hague Tribunal (ICTY) President Theodor Meron expects the judgment for Ratko Mladic to be rendered "in March 2017 or later."

He also expressed his concern over a growing number of staff members leaving the ICTY.

The ICTY president said that the Goran Hadzic trial is adjourned per medical advice, the Mladic case is on a reduced trial schedule, and Vojislav Seselj is on provisional release due to his poor health, the ICTY release states.

Meron reassured the UN Security Council that the changes in judgment forecasts are not expected to impact the Tribunal's closure, planned for 2017, but expressed his concern about staff retention.

"Many of them are searching for other employment - and where offers cannot be deferred, they are leaving the Tribunal, depriving us of valuable institutional and case-specific knowledge," he said.

Meron presented the ICTY Completion Strategy Report to the UN Security Council on Wednesday and updated the Council on the Tribunal's work and progress achieved over the past six months.

The ICTY will take on the work on potential appeals in ongoing cases for the crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia, the ICTY said.