Amsterdam  - The International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague released a statement on Wednesday saying it held a former spokesman of the ICTY-prosecution office in contempt of court.

Florence Hartmann, described by the ICTY as "a one-time spokesperson of a former tribunal prosecutor" has been summoned to appear before the tribunal.

In the statement, the ICTY wrote that Hartmann was summoned "for knowingly and willfully disclosing information in knowing violation of an order of a chamber."

Hartmann is alleged to have disclosed information in her book "Peace and Punishment", published in 2007, which related to confidential decisions of the tribunal's appeals chamber in the case of former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, the court statement said.

Hartmann "knew that the information was confidential at the time the disclosure was made, that the decisions from which the information was drawn were ordered to be filed confidentially, and that by her disclosure she was revealing confidential information to the public," it added.

Hartmann is due to appear before the court in The Hague on September 15 at 3 pm local time (1 pm GMT). (dpa)