2007 - International Court of Justice

1 International Court OF JUSTICEREPORTS OF JUDGMENTS,ADVISORY OPINIONS AND ORDERSCASE CONCERNING APPLICATION OFTHE CONVENTION ON THE PREVENTIONANDPUNISHMENT OF THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE(BOSNIA AND AND MONTENEGRO)JUDGMENT OF 26 FEBRUARY 20072007 COUR INTERNATIONALE DE JUSTICERECUEIL DES ARRE|TS,AVIS CONSULTATIFS ET ORDONNANCESAFFAIRE RELATIVE AvL APPLICATIONDE LA CONVENTION POUR LA PREuVENTIONET LA REuPRESSION DU CRIME DE GEuNOCIDE(BOSNIE-HERZEuGOVINE c. SERBIE-ET-MONTEuNEuGRO)ARRE|TDU26 FEuVRIER 2007 Official citation :Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishmentof the Crime of Genocide (Bosnia and and Montenegro),Judgment, Reports 2007, officiel de citation :Application de la convention pour la pr vention et la r pressiondu crime de g nocide (Bosnie-Herz govine c.)

2 Serbie-et-Mont n gro),arr t, Recueil 2007, 0074-4441 ISBN 978-92-1-071029-9 Sales numberNode vente:921 APPLICATION OF THE CONVENTION ON THE PREVENTIONAND PUNISHMENT OF THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE(BOSNIA AND AND MONTENEGRO)APPLICATION DE LA CONVENTION POUR LA PREuVENTIONET LA REuPRESSION DU CRIME DE GEuNOCIDE(BOSNIE-HERZEuGOVINE c. SERBIE-ET-MONTEuNEuGRO)26 FEBRUARY 2007 JUDGMENT26 FEuVRIER 2007 ARRE|TTABLE OF S1-66II. IDENTIFICATION OF THERESPONDENTPARTY67-79 III. THECOURT SJURISDICTION80-141(1) Introduction : the jurisdictional objection of Serbia andMontenegro80-87(2) History of the status of the FRY with regard to the UnitedNations88-99(3) The response of Bosnia and Herzegovina100-104(4) Relevant past decisions of the Court105-113(5) The principle ofres judicata114-120(6) Application of the principle ofres judicatato the 1996 Judgment121-139(7) Conclusion : jurisdiction affirmed140-141IV.

3 THEAPPLICABLELAW:THECONVENTION ON THEPREVENTION ANDPUNISHMENT OF THECRIME OFGENOCIDE142-201(1) The Convention in brief142-149(2) The Court s 1996 decision about the scope and meaning ofArticle IX150-152(3) The Court s 1996 decision about the territorial scope of theConvention153-154(4) The obligations imposed by the Convention on the Con-tracting Parties155-179(5) Question whether the Court may make a finding of geno-cide by a State in the absence of a prior conviction of anindividual for genocide by a competent court180-182(6) The possible territorial limits of the obligations183-184(7) The Applicant s claims in respect of alleged genocide com-mitted outside its territory against non-nationals185(8) The question of intent to commit genocide186-189(9) Intent and ethnic cleansing 190(10) Definition of the protected group191-201V.

4 QUESTIONS OFPROOF:BURDEN OFPROOF,THESTANDARD OFPROOF,METHODS OFPROOF202-230VI. THEFACTSINVOKED BY THEAPPLICANT,INRELATION TOARTICLEII231-376(1) The background231-234(2) The entities involved in the events complained of235-241(3) Examination of factual evidence : introduction242-244434(4) Article II(a): killing members of the protected group245-277 Sarajevo246-249 Drina River Valley250-256(a)Zvornik250-251(b)Camps25 2-256(i) Su ica camp252(ii) Foc a Kazneno-Popravn Dom camp253-254(iii) Batkovic camp255-256 Prijedor257-269(a)Kozarac and Hambarine257-261(b)Camps262-269(i) Omarska camp262-264(ii) Keraterm camp265-266(iii) Trnopolje camp267-269 Banja Luka270 Manjac a camp270 Brc ko271-277 Luka camp271-277(5) The massacre at Srebrenica278-297(6) Article II(b).

5 Causing serious bodily or mental harm tomembers of the protected group298-319 Drina River Valley305-310(a)Zvornik305(b)Foc a306(c)Camps307-310(i) Batkovic camp307(ii) Su ica camp308(iii) Foc a Kazneno-Popravn Dom camp309-310 Prijedor311-314(a)Municipality311(b)Camp s312-314(i) Omarska camp312(ii) Keraterm camp313(iii) Trnopolje camp314 Banja Luka315-316 Manjac a camp315-316 Brc ko317-318 Luka camp317-318(7) Article II(c): deliberately inflicting on the group condi-tions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruc-tion in whole or in part320-354 Alleged encirclement, shelling and starvation323-328 Deportation and expulsion329-334 Destruction of historical, religious and cultural property335-34444 APPLICATION OF GENOCIDE CONVENTION(JUDGMENT)5 Camps345-354(a)Drina River Valley346-347(i) Su ica camp346(ii) Foc a Kazneno-Popravn Dom camp347(b)Prijedor348-350(i) Omarska camp348(ii) Keraterm camp349(iii) Trnopolje camp350(c)Banja Luka351 Manjac a Camp351(d)Bosanski amac352(8) Article II(d): imposing measures to prevent births withinthe protected group355-361(9) Article II(e).

6 Forcibly transferring children of the pro-tected group to another group362-367(10) Alleged genocide outside Bosnia and Herzegovina368-369(11) The question of pattern of acts said to evidence an intent tocommit genocide370-376 VII. THEQUESTION OFRESPONSIBILITY FOREVENTS ATSREBRENICAUNDERARTICLEIII, PARAGRAPH(a),OF THEGENOCIDECONVEN-TION377-415(1) The alleged admission377-378(2) The test of responsibility379-384(3) The question of attribution of the Srebrenica genocide tothe Respondent on the basis of the conduct of its organs 385-395(4) The question of attribution of the Srebrenica genocide tothe Respondent on the basis of direction or control396-412(5) Conclusion as to responsibility for events at Srebrenicaunder Article III, paragraph(a), of the Genocide Con-vention413-415 VIII.

7 THEQUESTION OFRESPONSIBILITY,INRESPECT OFSREBRENICA,FORACTSENUMERATED INARTICLEIII, PARAGRAPHS(b)TO(e),OFTHEGENOCIDECONVENTI ON416-424IX. THEQUESTION OFRESPONSIBILITY FORBREACH OF THEOBLIGATIONSTOPREVENT ANDPUNISHGENOCIDE425-450(1) The obligation to prevent genocide428-438(2) The obligation to punish genocide439-450X. THEQUESTION OFRESPONSIBILITY FORBREACH OF THECOURT SORDERSINDICATINGPROVISIONALMEASURES451- 458XI. THEQUESTION OFREPARATION459-470 XII. OPERATIVECLAUSE47145 APPLICATION OF GENOCIDE CONVENTION(JUDGMENT)6 LIST OF ACRONYMSA bbreviationFull nameCommentsARBiHArmy of the Republic of Bosniaand HerzegovinaFRYF ederal Republic of YugoslaviaName of Serbia and Mon-tenegro between 27 April1992 (adoption of theConstitution) and 3 Feb-ruary 2003 ICTRI nternational Criminal Tribunalfor RwandaICTYI nternational Criminal Tribunalfor the former YugoslaviaILCI nternational Law CommissionJNAY ugoslav People s ArmyArmyoftheSFRY(ceasedtoexiston27 April 1992, with thecreation of the VJ)

8 MUPM inistarstvo Unutra njih Pollova Ministry of the InteriorNATON orth Atlantic Treaty Organiza-tionSFRYS ocialist Federal Republic ofYugoslaviaTOTeritorijalna OdbranaTerritorial Defence ForcesUNHCRU nited Nations High Commis-sioner for RefugeesUNPROFORU nited Nations Protection ForceVJYugoslav ArmyArmy of the FRY, undertheConstitutionof27 April 1992 (succeededto the JNA)VRSArmy of the Republika Srpska467 International Court OF JUSTICEYEAR 200726 February2007 CASE CONCERNING APPLICATION OFTHE CONVENTION ON THE PREVENTION ANDPUNISHMENT OF THE CRIME OF GENOCIDE(BOSNIA AND AND MONTENEGRO)JUDGMENTP resent : PresidentHIGGINS;Vice-PresidentAL-KHASAW NEH;JudgesRANJEVA,SHI,KOROMA,OWADA,SIMMA ,TOMKA,ABRAHAM,KEITH,SEP LVEDA-AMOR,BENNOUNA,SKOTNIKOV;Judgesad hoc MAHIOU,KRECuA; the case concerning application of the Convention on the Prevention andPunishment of the Crime of Genocide,betweenBosnia and Herzegovina,represented byMr.

9 Sakib Softic ,as Agent ;Mr. Phon van den Biesen, Attorney at Law, Amsterdam,as Deputy Agent ;Mr. Alain Pellet, Professor at the University of Paris X-Nanterre, Memberand former Chairman of the United Nations International Law Commis-sion,Mr. Thomas M. Franck, Professor Emeritus of Law, New York UniversitySchool of Law,Ms Brigitte Stern, Professor at the University of Paris I,47200726 FebruaryGeneral ListNo. 918Mr. Luigi Condorelli, Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University ofFlorence,Ms Magda Karagiannakis, , , , Barrister at Law, Mel-bourne, Australia,Ms Joanna Korner , Barrister at Law, London,Ms Laura Dauban, (Hons),Mr. Antoine Ollivier, Temporary Lecturer and Research Assistant, Univer-sity of Paris X-Nanterre,as Counsel and Advocates ;Mr.

10 Morten Torkildsen, BSc., MSc., Torkildsen Granskin og R dgivning,Norway,as Expert Counsel and Advocate ; Mr. Fuad abeta, Ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the King-dom of the Netherlands,Mr. Wim Muller, , ,Mr. Mauro Barelli, (University of Bristol),Mr. Ermin Sarajlija, ,Mr. Amir Bajric , ,Ms Amra Mehmedic , ,Ms Isabelle Moulier, Research Student in International Law, University ofParis I,Mr. Paolo Palchetti, Associate Professor at the University of Macerata,Italy,as Counsel,andSerbia and Montenegro,represented Mr. Radoslav Stojanovic , , Head of the Law Council of theMinistry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia and Montenegro, Professor at theBelgrade University School of Law,as Agent ;Mr. Sa a Obradovic , First Counsellor of the Embassy of Serbia and Mon-tenegro in the Kingdom of the Netherlands,Mr.