UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia has found a Croatian journalist in contempt for publishing sealed documents.
The Hague-based tribunal fined Josip Jovic, a former editor-in-chief of the Croatian daily newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija, $25,612, said a judgment issued Wednesday.
In a series of articles appearing in November and December 2000, Jovic published the sealed transcripts and part of a witness statement given to the Office of the Prosecutor by Croatian President Stjepan Mesic, who testified against a former Croatian army general, the court said.
The tribunal expressed particular concern over Jovic's decision to ignore a cease and desist order from the tribunal after the first four articles had appeared, noting he went on in subsequent editions to boast the transcripts he was publishing were "secret."
"His actions not only were contemptuous, but also stymied the tribunal's ability to safeguard the evidence of a protected witness and risked undermining confidence in the tribunal's ability to grant effective protective measures," said the court in its judgment summary.
The defense had argued Jovic did not believe he was bound by the tribunal's orders and could not be held in contempt.
