大象传媒

Allan Little explores the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague and assesses its legacy as it prepares to close in 2017.

In March this year, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in the Hague delivered a verdict for its highest profile defendant - Radovan Karad啪ic, finding him guilty of 10 out of 11 counts of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and other atrocities in the Bosnian war of the 1990s. It came 23 years after the Tribunal was first set up by the UN and 20 years after its first prosecution began. The ICTY was the first war crimes court created by the UN and built on the legacy of the Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals.

It was formed to investigate crimes committed during the wars in the former Yugoslavia and to bring those responsible to justice. It was seen as a pioneer in the field of international justice and has indicted 161 people.

But the ICTY is now preparing to close. A completion strategy, put in place some years ago, will see it shut its doors at the end of December 2017 . Outstanding cases will be handed over to the recently formed Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals.

大象传媒 reporter Allan Little has spent much time at the ICTY during his coverage of the Balkans conflict. He explores the Tribunal's history, talks to those who work there, and assesses its legacy. Has it been a model for other forms of transitional justice? And how do people in the Balkans, for whom it was hoped the court process might bring closure, see its work?

Allan visits the ICTY to talk to a range of people who staff it. He visits the vast archives which hold 9 million documents and also sees the holding cells outside the courtrooms for those who are on trial. He also hears from others who have studied the ICTY and who are experts in the area of international justice.

Producer: Emma Kingsley.