International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY)

Full form: The 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

ICTY is an adhoc court established by a resolution of the UN Security Council. The objective is to prosecute serious crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia. The tribunal is located in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The ICTY indicted 161 persons, of whom the last two Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic were arrested in 2011. The ICTY has completed 81 cases, and is expected to conclude its work in 2014.

Additional Notes:

The ICTY was the first war crimes court created by the UN and the first international war crimes tribunal since the Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals.

Successes of ICTY:

-       "Spearheading the shift from impunity to accountability"- in the face of reluctance by prosecutors in Yugoslavia to take up these cases.

-       "Establishing the facts"

-       "Bringing justice to thousands of victims and giving them a voice"

-       "The accomplishments in international law"- fleshing out concepts of international criminal law

-       "Strengthening the Rule of Law"

Undoubtedly, the Tribunal’s work has had a major impact on the states of the former Yugoslavia. Simply by removing some of the most senior and notorious criminals and holding them accountable the Tribunal has been able to lift the taint of violence, contribute to ending impunity and help pave the way for reconciliation.

References:

http://www.icty.org/sections/AbouttheICTY

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Criminal_Tribunal_for_the_former_Yugoslavia