ICTY: Brammertz Nominated to Succeed Del Ponte

Yesterday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon nominated Serge Brammertz to succeed Carla Del Ponte as the ICTY Prosecutor. Brammertz currently leads the United Nations International Independent Investigation Commission (the Hariri inquiry). His nomination to the ICTY post has been anticipated for months. Senior prosecutors in The Hague favored the appointment of Deputy Prosecutor David Tolbert and sent a letter to the Secretary-General contesting Brammertz's pending nomination. (See here and here.) Some prosecutors have apparently indicated that they would resign if Tolbert were not appointed. At stake is the nature of the ICTY's endgame. For the prosecutors, Brammertz's appointment indicates a clear prioritization on closing down the tribunal in accordance with the Security Council's "completion strategy." Tolbert's appointment, on the other hand, would have signaled an emphasis on properly completing the tribunal's mission. Secretary-General Ban also announced yesterday his nomination of Daniel Bellemare, a Canadian prosecutor, to replace Brammertz. The Security Council will almost certainly approve both nominations.