Hague Tribunal reacts to Serbian prosecutor’s statement

THE HAGUE The Hague Tribunal is surprised by Prosecutor Vladimir Vukcevic’s statement about its alleged responsibility for the deaths of witnesses in the Haradinaj case. Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz’s Advisor Frederick Swinnen said on Wednesday that he had spoken to the Serbian war crimes prosecutor about the statement and that he had told him that “the information was misinterpreted”. Hague Tribunal reacts to Serbian prosecutor’s statement “Witness protection was a major challenge during the trial of (former Kosovo Liberation Army commander Ramush) Haradinaj and others. The court clearly said in the first verdict that witnesses felt unsafe and that they had been intimidated,” Swinnen said and stressed that “there is no evidence that the witnesses were killed because they were the prosecution’s witnesses”. “It simply is not true that the witnesses were killed,” he told reporters. Vukcevic said that the Hague Tribunal was responsible for the deaths of 19 witnesses in the case against Haradinaj. He told Belgrade-based tabloid Informer that the tragic fate of the witnesses was a result of “incompetence” of The Hague officials “who did their job sloppily”. When asked whether it would be possible to file an appeal to the verdict that the Hague Tribunal will deliver in the case against Haradinaj tomorrow, Swinnen said that this was the first retrial in the Hague Tribunal. “It depends on the court’s decision. I suppose there is a possibility to file an appeal,” he noted. A view of the Hague Tribunal (file) Tanjug

Hague Tribunal reacts to Serbian prosecutor’s statement

“Witness protection was a major challenge during the trial of (former Kosovo Liberation Army commander Ramush) Haradinaj and others. The court clearly said in the first verdict that witnesses felt unsafe and that they had been intimidated,” Swinnen said and stressed that “there is no evidence that the witnesses were killed because they were the prosecution’s witnesses”.

“It simply is not true that the witnesses were killed,” he told reporters.

Vukčević said that the Hague Tribunal was responsible for the deaths of 19 witnesses in the case against Haradinaj. He told Belgrade-based tabloid Informer that the tragic fate of the witnesses was a result of “incompetence” of The Hague officials “who did their job sloppily”.

When asked whether it would be possible to file an appeal to the verdict that the Hague Tribunal will deliver in the case against Haradinaj tomorrow, Swinnen said that this was the first retrial in the Hague Tribunal.

“It depends on the court’s decision. I suppose there is a possibility to file an appeal,” he noted.