Del Ponte calls Haradinaj gangster and warlord

Del Ponte calls Haradinaj gangster and warlord

In an opening statement at the trial of the former KLA commander and his two subordinates charged with crimes against Serbs, Romas and Albanians in Kosovo, Del Ponte said that the defendants were “gangsters in uniforms with blood of innocent victims on their hands”.

"Be in no doubt that the prosecution will prove that these men; this warlord (Haradinaj), his lieutenant and his jailer have blood on their hands. It is the blood of innocent civilians, systematically abducted, killed, abused and annihilated. The victims’ bodies have been recovered and their voices will be heard in this trial”, Del Ponte said in a statement.

"There was nothing noble or heroic about the crimes in this case. They were brutal and bloody murders", the Chief Prosecutor insisted.

She cautioned that the prosecution witnesses still received threats, and that over a third of the witnesses would have to be put under protection.

Carla Del Ponte warned that the Prosecution had no case if intimidated witnesses refused to testify, leaving her with no other option but to drop the charges. However, she was confident that the Trial Chamber will provide witness protection.

Defendants pleaded innocence

At a pretrial hearing on Thursday Haradinaj said he was "offended by the accusations" and declared innocence on all counts of the indictment.

The indictment made public on March, 4, 2005 cites that Haradinaj, along with his subordinates Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj, took joint criminal enterprise aimed at removing the Serbian civilians from the parts of Kosovo under Haradinaj’s command.

At the same time, KLA members turned against the Kosovo Albanians suspected of collaborating with the Serbian authorities.

Haradinaj is said to have led the forces responsible for the deaths if 32 Serbs whose bodies were recovered in Radonjićko lake near Glođane. The prosecution also pins the abuse of Jablanica prisoners on the Hardinaj-led KLA unit, as well as the assaults on the Serb refugees in Dečane.

Haradinaj left for The Hague on March 9, 2005 while serving the Kosovo Prime Minister at the time. The media speculated that the U.S. advised him to surrender, despite his initial objections to do so falling back on the promises James Rubin made on behalf of Madeleine Albright, US State Secretary at the time.

Haradinaj was released from custody on June 9, 2005 and summoned back to The Hague at the beginning of 2007. Hundreds of supporters saw him off last week, and Prime Minister Agim Ceku backed him in a radio address.

The Hague Tribunal set a precedent by letting Haradinaj be politically active and make public appearances in Kosovo. His privileged position was unofficially explained by the fact that the international community in Kosovo considered Haradinaj a man who could secure discipline and dissuade Albanians from engaging into conflicts with the KFOR and UN officers.

The Hague Prosecution disapproved of Haradinaj’s meeting with the UNMIK Chief Joachim Ruecker ahead of his return to The Hague. The Prosecution said that the meeting could infer that UNMIK backed Haradinaj, which would cause difficulties to the already complicated work of the Hague Prosecution Office in Kosovo and discourage witnesses from appearing on trial.

The Prosecution enlisted 99 witnesses. However, B92 has learned that the number is much smaller than the official figure.