In a case that could determine the safety of journalists reporting in conflict situations, a former "Washington Post" reporter who interviewed a Bosnian Serb wanted for genocide faces seven years in prison for refusing to testify in front of a United Nations war crimes tribunal, reports "The Independent."

Jonathan Randal has been issued a subpoena ordering him to attend the tribunal in The Hague. He is being asked to give evidence in the trial of Radoslav Brdjanin, a former politician accused of genocide and other war crimes during the Bosnian war. Randal has refused to comply with the subpoena on the grounds that it would set a precedent which would further jeopardise the safety of journalists reporting in conflict zones, says "The Independent."

On 10 May, his legal team, headed by prominent human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson QC, argued before the tribunal that if journalists are compelled to give evidence for the prosecution in such trials, they will be increasingly seen as legitimate targets, reports the "Guardian."

"If journalists become targets or potential witnesses, the interview and evidence will dry up," lawyer Fiona Campbell says. Randal's lawyers note that journalists should only be forced to testify if the evidence they possess is crucial to a case.

For more information, see
http://news.independent.co.uk or
http://media.guardian.co.uk.