Posted on 04/03/2008 5:38:34 PM PDT by Ravnagora
03 April 2008 Pristina // Former Kosovo Prime Minister, Ramush Haradinaj has been found not guilty by The Hague War Crimes Tribunal.
Haradinaj was accused of taking part in a conspiracy to drive Serbs out of Kosovo through murder, rape and torture.
Co-defendant, Idriz Balaj was also found not guilty.
“Based on the statute, factual conclusions and witnesses, the majority of the body sets you not guilty,” the Presiding judge read before the court.
However, Lahi Brahimaj was sentenced to six years imprisonment.
The trial of Haradinaj had been closely monitored in Kosovo.
Ahmet Isufi, the Deputy Leader of AAK who was present at The Hague said “We consider that the custody that the suspects have spent in The Hague was not necessary… Kosovo proved its innocence and this is a victory for Kosovo’s people.”
Kosovo's Government also welcomed the news.
"This demonstrates once more that the war waged by the Kosovo Liberation Army was just and in accordance with international conventions,” the statement signed by Prime Minister Hashim Thaci read.
Billboards in support of Haradinaj had appeared across Kosovo’s capital, Pristina where many see him as a hero and his record as Prime Minister won him respect amongst many Kosovar Albanians and in the international community.
Haradinaj was a regional commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA in western Kosovo. Two of his brothers were killed during the conflict.
After the war, he set up the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, AAK, and in the elections of October 2004, his party came third. Forming a coalition government with Kosovo's largest party, Haradinaj was selected prime minister.
The move caused outcry in Serbia, which called for him to be indicted and accused the international community of cuddling up to a war criminal.
Under pressure, Haradinaj resigned and surrendered to the tribunal in March 2005.
However there were widespread allegations of witnesses being intimidated, and several pulled out, resulting in complaints by former top war crimes prosecutor, Carla del Ponte.
Before the verdict, Serbian President Boris Tadic said Haradinaj’s place was in jail and the his release would be a great injustice and an offence of the international war crimes tribunal.
“Any such decision (a not guilty verdict) would not be a satisfaction of justice and would not assure Serbs and non-Albanians they would have a safe future in Kosovo,” Tadic said in a statement.
Moderate Kosovo Serb leader Oliver Ivanovic said Kosovar Albanian commanders should be held responsible under the same criteria as other military leaders and that is a chain of command responsibility.
He added that “Haradinaj was in charge of Pec, Decan and Djakovica region where more than 200 Serbs were killed or abducted in 1998-1999 and afterwards.”
Didn’t you know they only convict serbs at the Hague!?
Like Milosevic was convicted?
Well you do have the option to die before conviction.
Turns out they had no case against this guy either.
Apparently, they don’t have a case against anyone.
The real case here is one the American people have against our government for getting involved in something that had nothing to do whatsoever with our national interests. The Balkans!
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