Summary: The International Criminal Tribunal, responsible for prosecuting war crimes in the former Yugoslavia, lacks the investigators, judges, and courtrooms needed to handle its current workload. As a result, the Tribunal has suspended six investigations planned for 1998, has a growing backlog of unread documentary evidence, and may be unable to try some accused individuals without undue delay. In addition, the Office of the Prosecutor has announced the withdrawal of charges against 14 indicted individuals because, facing a much larger than anticipated workload, the Tribunal wanted to focus on persons with higher levels of responsibility. The Tribunal President and other experts believe that the Tribunal's credibility and legitimacy may be jeopardized unless it can bring the accused in custody to trial within at least two years. GAO found that the Tribunal will need at least three years to try all the accused now in custody, and if more individuals are arrested or additional responsibilities arise, such as investigating recent incidents in Kosovo, the Tribunal's already overburdened capacity in key areas will be further strained.
