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Better not dig up the grave sites, we will likely find them filled, NOT with muslims, but dead greek orthodox and catholic Christians, buried en masse by muslims, murdering the infidels for the glory of Allah...
Why are we surprised by the KLA blocking investigator's admission? They MUST be guilty. This is a trial, why block access to evidence UNLESS that evidence incriminates the wrong folks?
What a mess.
Amnesty and UN staff accuse Kosovo war crimes tribunal of ethnic bias
Nicholas Wood in Pristina
Wednesday June 20, 2001
The Guardian
Human rights observers have accused the UN mission in Kosovo of continued ethnic bias in its judicial system and making "politically driven decisions", in spite of the appointment of international judges and prosecutors. The allegations, made yesterday by UN legal advisers and the human rights group Amnesty International, follow the sentencing of a Serb man to 15 years in prison for taking part in the Racak massacre.
The massacre of 45 ethnic Albanians in January 1999 was one of the factors which eventually led to the Nato airstrikes against Yugoslavia; it is perhaps the most sensitive case from the Kosovo conflict.
Witnesses claimed that Zoran Stanojevic, 35, a Serb former policeman, was seen killing one of the victims, a 62-year-old man from Racak.
But UN legal officials say his trial was dogged by procedural irregularities and that trial testimony was contradicted by forensic evidence and initial witness statements.
According to one UN legal officer with knowledge of the case, the panel of two international judges and one Albanian judge had considered abandoning the trial for lack of evidence, "but they didn't dare to do it. Politically speaking it was not possible.
"The people of Racak would have been furious. Racak is a symbol of what happened during the war for all Albanians. They gave in to pressure, pressure that was exerted through out the case."
The court had to abandon a reconstruction at the scene on two occasions after being threatened. On the first, two men, one armed with a Kalashnikov and another with a pistol, forced court officials to leave saying: "We don't want any Serbs in our village." On the second, a crowd of villagers denied them access.
A reconstruction of events later went ahead but without the accused or a defence counsel, also a Serb, present.
Four key trial witnesses altered their testimony between giving statements to members of the international criminal tribunal for Yugoslavia and appearing in court. Two witness claims that victims had been shot though the front of the head were contradicted by forensic evidence.
Tome Gashe, a lawyer representing the victim's family, warned the judges during his summing up that unless they found Stanojevic guilty, "people will doubt the justice system".
"They believe they will have to take justice into their own hand," he added. "They will be forced to revenge what happened to their closest ones since it will be impossible for them to find peace, and as a result of this revenge, innocent people may be victimised."
Stanojevic's trial comes two years after the UN set up the judicial system in Kosovo.
A year ago it announced that it would introduce increased numbers of international judges and prosecutors to eliminate perceived bias in court cases.
But Amnesty International remains extremely concerned. "Despite the appointment of international prosecutors and judges to the Kosovo courts, the judicial system in Kosovo continues to be seriously flawed," a spokeswoman said.
"From cases of unlawful pre-trial detention to procedural breaches in the conduct of trials, the administration of justice fails to be conducted in a manner consistent with international human rights standards."
A senior UN legal official said the Stanojevic trial reflected weaknesses throughout the Kosovo judicial process. "The quality of evidence is very very poor and relies on testimony for which there is very little supporting evidence. No one hesitates to make things up. International judges were meant to alleviate concerns over bias and set a standard for effective justice. It [the policy] does not seem to have worked."
END
Things that make you go "hmmm."
"They believe they will have to take justice into their own hand," he added. "They will be forced to revenge what happened to their closest ones since it will be impossible for them to find peace, and as a result of this revenge, innocent people may be victimised."
Lawyer openly making threats to the judges in a court of "justice"? Curiouser and Curiouser.
Racak continues to stink and its time for the world to see if for what it is, a scam.
What's going on with you on this?
When an investigating Judge goes to Racak with the intention of investigating a suspects involvement in the killings at Racak in 1999, which in this case is a Serb and all concerned are forced away by the KLA threatening with an AK-47 you don't think that something stinks???? If it would help in convicting the suspect of being part of the so called massacre that all the villagers know about because the KLA showed them after the fact why would they (the KLA) behave the way they did, if they do not have anything to hide. I know a few of the key personalities controlling Racak and these goons work for these guys.
The fact that the investigating judge (an Albanian) and the others were not allowed to investigate the site kind of tells you that a fair trial for this Serb accused is not a real priority don't you think. Considering what I have posted and claim from my personal experience along with this latest development does not make you think that something is not right? This incident also states by itself that the KLA are in control and only tolerate and use NATO and the UN. What else can it mean.
Be happy you are not a Serb locked up in the Pristina jail for some minor weapons offence because you will rot there for a very long time. An Albanian gets out within a few days.
Why do I know, because I helped one young Serbian fellow out of the Pristina jail and return to his village and young wife and child all because he had a grenade that he was going to use to kill himself if the KLA got a hold of him while he was traveling through Pristina to another Serb controlled town. What’s going on with me on this? Have you some explanation as to why the KLA are interfering with their own so called judicial system especially when it means investigating the Racak massacre? The only reason is because they have something to hide and I know this with every fiber in my being. This is were I am coming from. And I thought I was letting this go and it seems not as easy as I thought.
When an investigating Judge goes to Racak with the intention of investigating a suspects involvement in the killings at Racak in 1999, which in this case is a Serb and all concerned are forced away by the KLA threatening with an AK-47 you don't think that something stinks???? If it would help in convicting the suspect of being part of the so called massacre that all the villagers know about because the KLA showed them after the fact why would they (the KLA) behave the way they did, if they do not have anything to hide. I know a few of the key personalities controlling Racak and these goons work for these guys.
The fact that the investigating judge (an Albanian) and the others were not allowed to investigate the site kind of tells you that a fair trial for this Serb accused is not a real priority don't you think. Considering what I have posted and claim from my personal experience along with this latest development does not make you think that something is not right? This incident also states by itself that the KLA are in control and only tolerate and use NATO and the UN. What else can it mean.
Be happy you are not a Serb locked up in the Pristina jail for some minor weapons offence because you will rot there for a very long time. An Albanian gets out within a few days.
Why do I know, because I helped one young Serbian fellow out of the Pristina jail and return to his village and young wife and child all because he had a grenade that he was going to use to kill himself if the KLA got a hold of him while he was traveling through Pristina to another Serb controlled town. What’s going on with me on this? Have you some explanation as to why the KLA are interfering with their own so called judicial system especially when it means investigating the Racak massacre? The only reason is because they have something to hide and I know this with every fiber in my being. This is were I am coming from. And I thought I was letting this go and it seems not as easy as I thought.
On February 24, 1996, three light aircraft left Miami on a routine flight. Their missions, to search the waters off the Florida Coast for rafters trying to reach the US shores, and bring them help by guiding the US Coast Guard to their location. That day in February, only one plane would return to its home base in Miami.
Tune in to Radio FreeRepublic this Thursday, March 14, at 9 PM EST, and listen to the actual sounds of a terrorist in action, murdering unarmed American citizens.
Sr. José Basulto, founder of Brothers to the Rescue and pilot of the surviving Cessna, will shed light on the events of that day, and detail how the Clinton administration withheld advanced knowledge of the attack from the humanitarian volunteer group, helping seal the fate of these four courageous flyers.
Radio FreeRepublic, fearless talk radio.
Similarly, does the Serb refusal to let investigative teams into Racak back in January of '99 put a seal on their guilt through the same mechanism you are employing here?
I contend that no, it does not.
Regards,
Ranta was either kicked off or resigned from the team sometime after she made her reckless & unfounded statements at the press conference you love to cite.
as you well know the final report was NOT written by Rante, rather it was written by two other Finnish experts. It would help your credibility to cease relying on Ranta's press conference statements which her collegues pointed refused to confirm in the final report
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