On 3 July 2009 the Appeals Chamber at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) upheld the conviction and sentence of Dragan Jokić for contempt of the tribunal.

On 17 March 2009 Trial Chamber III at the ICTY found Jokić guilty of contempt stating that he persistently refused to testify in the case Prosecutor v. Vujadin Popović et al. without reasonable excuse and willfully and knowingly impeded the due administration of justice. Jokić was issued a subpoena to appear in the Popović et al. case, however, he failed to testify citing reasons in a confidential submission filed on 31 October  2007. The Chamber sentenced Jokić to 4 months' imprisonment consecutive to the nine-year sentence he is currently serving.

Dragain Jokić filed a confidential Notice of Appeal on 14 April 2009 and a confidential Appeal Brief on 29 April 2009 arguing that the Appeals Chamber should reverse the judgment and acquit him or pronounce a lower sentence. On 25 June 2009, the Appeals Chamber issued a confidential decision dismissing all grounds of the confidential appeal and affirmed Jokić’s sentence.

The Appeals Chamber dismissed all eight of Jokić’s grounds of appeal and affirmed the four month sentence imposed by the Trial Chamber.

Research File: Dragan Jokić