On 15 June 2009 the trial of Florence Hartmann, former spokesperson for the former ICTY Chief Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte, began at the ICTY. Ms Hartmann is charged with two counts of contempt of the Tribunal and faces up to seven years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to 100 000 euros. The charges relate to the publication in a book and article authored by Ms. Hartmann of confidential information concerning the Milošević case. The trial is scheduled to continue until Wednesday 17 June.

Florence Hartmann was a journalist for the French newspaper Le Monde who covered the conflict in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s before becoming spokeswoman for the former chief war crimes prosecutor from 2000 to 2006. After leaving the Tribunal, Hartmann published the book “Peace and Punishment: The Secret Wars of Politics and International Justice" and several articles about the Tribunal, in which she allegedly sources confidential information.

According to the Order in lieu of indictment, Ms Hartmann is charged with two counts of Contempt of the Tribunal (Rule 77(A)(ii) of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence) for disclosing confidential decisions of the Appeals Chamber. On 14 November 2008, a plea of not guilty was entered on Ms. Hartmann’s behalf after she refused to enter a plea.

The commencement of proceedings follows the appointment of two new judges to the specially appointed Trial Chamber on 2 April 2009 after Judges Orie and Agius were disqualified from the case pursuant to a Defence motion to disqualify the judges and the senior legal officer. The case, originally scheduled to commence on 5 February 2009, was thus postponed sine die.

Florence Hartmann