Further judicial assistance in Milosevic case

The Yugoslav authorities had submitted various requests for judicial assistance to Switzerland in connection with criminal proceedings against the former head of state, Slobodan Milosevic, and other representatives of his regime. The applications accused a total of six defendants of unlawful enrichment while executing their offices. In response, the FoJ had a number of accounts frozen and ordered the surrender of the corresponding banking documents. The FoJ then handed dossiers relating to three persons over to the Yugoslav authorities last June.

Application for assistance withdrawn – no proceedings pending

The FoJ will be able to hand over the judicial assistance dossier on the fourth person to the Yugoslav authorities when its final order becomes legally enforceable. However, Switzerland will be unable to provide judicial assistance in two further cases. In one case, the FoJ had approved assistance, but the Yugoslav authorities withdrew their request shortly thereafter subsequent to closing their preliminary investigations. In the other case, the Yugoslav authorities have been unable to prove that a parallel investigation is presently taking place in Belgrade.

As a result of Yugoslavia's various requests for judicial assistance, assets in the names of four people, totalling around CHF 3 million, remain frozen in Switzerland. The Yugoslav authorities can demand the release of these assets on the basis of a legally enforceable seizure order.