Mechanism Registrar Olufemi Elias on official visit to Serbia

Registrar Olufemi Elias.

The Hague, 29 January 2019 – The Registrar of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (Mechanism), Mr. Olufemi Elias, will be on an official visit to Belgrade, Serbia, from 29 to 31 January 2019.

As part of the visit, Registrar Elias will hold meetings with Serbian Minister of Justice, Ms. Nela Kuburović, to discuss the ongoing cooperation between the Mechanism and the Serbian authorities, as well as the possible establishment of an information centre on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in Belgrade. 

Registrar Elias will also meet with the President of the Appellate Court, Judge Duško Milenković, as well as with the President of the Court’s War Crimes Department, Judge Siniša Važić, to discuss a range of issues, including the Mechanism’s provision of assistance to national authorities in dealing with war crimes cases. 

During his visit in Belgrade, the Registrar will hold a briefing for the diplomatic community based in Serbia, to inform them about the Mechanism’s mandate, priorities and ongoing work. 

Registrar Elias will also meet representatives of civil society active in the field of transitional justice, to discuss their ongoing activities in relation to the Mechanism’s work and the legacy of the ICTY, as well as potential areas for further cooperation. 

This is Mr. Elias’ third of a series of visits to the former Yugoslavia since he took up duties as Registrar of the Mechanism in January 2017. He visited Bosnia and Herzegovina in July 2018 and Croatia in November 2018.