Former PM of Kosovo arrested; ICTY orders a re-trial
Wed 21 Jul 2010
The former Prime Minister of Kosovo Ramush Haradinaj has been arrested and transferred to the Hague after the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has ordered a partial re-trial of his case and two other former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj.
The Court ordered the re-trial after prosecution’ claims that a number of witnesses had been intimidated over the course of the trial, with that, failing to take adequate measures to secure the testimony of certain witnesses. In April of 2008, Haradinaj and Balaj were acquitted by a first instance verdict on all charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Brahimaj was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for cruel treatment and torture of two persons at the Jablanica headquarters of the KLA.
Serbia's Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković welcomed the Hague Tribunal decision to overturn its verdict that acquitted Haradinaj. The party of Haradinaj, Allaince for the Future of Kosovo, was surprised about the decision of ICTY.
Source: ICTY, B92, BIRN and Volkskrant
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