Prlic's Lawyer Temporarily Barred From Speaking

The lawyer defending Bosnian Croat politician Jadranko Prlic was banned from speaking for seven days at the Hague tribunal this week after he apparently insulted a witness and referred to one of the judges of the trial chamber as “a fifth prosecutor”.



American defence lawyer Michael Karnavas is defending Prlic against charges of war crimes dating from his time as a leader of the self-declared Croat statelet known as Herceg Bosna.



According to the ruling of the trial chamber, during proceedings on January 9, Karnavas “used an extremely offensive and intimidating tone” in questioning a protected prosecution witness in closed session. Furthermore, it said, his cross-examination “required a number of interventions on the part of the bench to remind [him] that he was to remain calm and in control”.



The following day, some of the questions put to the witness by judge Stefan Trechsel led an incensed Karnavas to complain that there was “a fifth prosecutor in the courtroom”. The trial chamber found such a comment “unacceptable”.



The ban will mean Karnavas is unable to address judges or witnesses during proceedings from January 15 to 24. During this time, his co-counsel Suzana Tomanovic will take the floor on his behalf. Karnavas will be allowed to attend proceedings and to communicate with Tomanovic.



The lawyer responded to the chamber by saying, “I accept the court’s decision. I acknowledge my own shortcomings and I appreciate the court’s understanding.”



Prlic, along with fellow Bosnian Croats Bruno Stolic, Slobodan Praljak, Milivoj Petkovic, Valentin Coric and Berislav Pusic, is indicted for war crimes which include the expulsion and murder of Bosniaks during the conflict between Bosnian government troops and Croat forces in 1993.



Simon Jennings is an IWPR reporter in The Hague.