Convicted persons awaiting transfer to an enforcement State

Notion(s)	Filing	Case
Convicted persons \| Convicted persons awaiting transfer to an enforcement State \| Provisional release	Decision on Provisional Release - 23.02.2016	TOLIMIR Zdravko (MICT-15-95-ES)
7. Neither the Statute nor the Rules explicitly regulate the provisional release of convicted persons awaiting transfer to an enforcement State.[1] The Appeals Chamber recalls, however, that, in certain limited circumstances, the ICTY has authorized provisional release to convicted persons prior to their transfer to the State where they would serve their sentence.[2] In doing so, the ICTY Appeals Chamber has relied on Rule 65(I) of the ICTY Rules of Procedure and Evidence (“ICTY Rules”) which mirrors Rule 68(I) of the Mechanism’s Rules.[3] The Appeals Chamber recalls that it is bound to interpret the Statute and the Rules in a manner consistent with the relevant jurisprudence of the ICTY.[4] Bearing this practice in mind, the Appeals Chamber considers that Rule 68 of the Rules applies, mutatis mutandis, to convicted persons who are in the custody of the Mechanism pending transfer to an enforcement State. 8. Accordingly, provisional release may be granted if the Appeals Chamber is satisfied that: (i) the convicted person, if released, will surrender into detention at the conclusion of the fixed period; (ii) the convicted person, if released, will not pose a danger to any victim, witness, or other person; and (iii) special circumstances exist warranting such release.[5] These requirements must be considered cumulatively and the discretionary assessment of these requirements is to be made on a case-by-case basis. [6] Furthermore, “whether an applicant satisfies these requirements is to be determined on a balance of probabilities, and the fact that an individual has already been sentenced is a matter to be taken into account by the Appeals Chamber when balancing the probabilities”.[7] show footnotes [1] Rule 68(I) of the Rules relates to granting provisional release to appellants and provides, in relevant part, that “the Appeals Chamber may grant provisional release to convicted persons pending an appeal or for a fixed period if it is satisfied that: (i) the appellant, if released, will either appear at the hearing of the appeal or will surrender into detention at the conclusion of the fixed period, as the case may be; (ii) the appellant, if released, will not pose a danger to any victim, witness, or other person, and (iii) special circumstances exist warranting such release.” [2] See, e.g., Prosecutor v. Momčilo Krajišnik, Case No. IT-00-39-ES, Decision on Krajišnik’s Application for Custodial Visit, 17 June 2009 (“Krajišnik Decision”), paras. 1, 22. See also Prosecutor v. Ljubomir Borovčanin, Case No. IT-05-88-AR65.12, Decision on Appeal from Decision on Ljubomir Borovčanin’s Request for Provisional Release, 1 March 2011 (“Borovčanin Decision”), paras. 2, 3, 9; Prosecutor v. Fatmir Limaj et al., Case No. IT-03-66-A, Decision on Motion on Behalf of Haradin Bala for Temporary Provisional Release, 14 February 2008 (“Limaj et al. Decision”), paras. 2, 4, 5. The Appeals Chamber notes that, in one case, the President of the Mechanism proprio motu provisionally released a convicted person who was in the custody of the Mechanism pending transfer to an enforcement State. See Nikolić Decision [Prosecutor v. Drago Nikolić, Case No. MICT-15-85-ES.4, Public Redacted Version of the 20 July 2015 Decision of the President on the Application for Early Release or Other Relief of Drago Nikolić, 13 October 2015], paras, 4, 39. [3] Rule 65(I) of the ICTY Rules provides, in relevant part, that “the Appeals Chamber may grant provisional release to convicted persons pending an appeal or for a fixed period if it is satisfied that: (i) the appellant, if released, will either appear at the hearing of the appeal or will surrender into detention at the conclusion of the fixed period, as the case may be; (ii) the appellant, if released, will not pose a danger to any victim, witness or other person, and (iii) special circumstances exist warranting such release.” See also Borovčanin Decision, para. 9; Limaj et al. Decision, paras. 4, 5. [4] Phénéas Munyarugarama v. Prosecutor, Case No. MICT-12-09-AR14, Decision on Appeal Against the Referral of Phénéas Munyarugarama’s Case to Rwanda and Prosecution Motion to Strike, 5 October 2012, paras. 4-6. [5] Borovčanin Decision, para. 9; Limaj et al. Decision, para. 5. [6] Prosecutor v. Nikola Šainović et al., Case No. IT-05-87-A, Decision on Sreten Lukić’s Third Motion for Provisional Release on Compassionate Grounds, 3 September 2010 (“Šainović et al. Decision of 3 September 2010”), para. 5; Borovčanin Decision, para. 9. See also Limaj et al. Decision, para. 5. [7] Borovčanin Decision, para. 9; Limaj et al. Decision, para. 5. Download full document		IRMCT Rule Rule 68(I)