Prosecution to review Haradinaj verdict

The Hague Tribunal will carefully review the verdict in the Ramush Haradinaj case before deciding whether to appeal. Hague spokeswoman Olga Kavran said that the verdict was 200 pages long, and said that “the prosecution team must first go through it and decide whether to appeal against any aspects of the verdict.” Prosecution to review Haradinaj verdict Kavran said that “the prosecutor is particularly concerned about the problems with witnesses that the judge mentioned a number of times during his summing-up, as such problems call into question the prosecution’s ability to present evidence.” The problem of bringing witnesses to the court was touched on by the prosecution on a number of occasions during the trial. The trial chamber itself said that it had had big problems questioning witnesses, and that it had been under the firm impression that the trial was unfolding in an atmosphere in which witnesses did not feel safe, the spokeswoman said. She said that the difficulties with bringing forward witnesses was reflected by the fact that 34 had testified using various protective measures, 18 only after receiving subpoenas having refused to testify earlier, while two came forward only after being charged, arrested and brought before the Tribunal. “The case on charges of contempt of court against one of the witnesses that refused to testify, in expectation of being arrested, is still ongoing,” Kavran pointed out. “In the verdict, the court simply confirmed what the prosecution had been saying the whole time, which was that it had not been able to present at the trial all the evidence that it had wanted to,” the spokeswoman explained. Ramush Haradinaj (FoNet) Kostunica demands EU's views on acquittal Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica today requested the European Union’s official position on the acquittal of Ramush Haradinaj by the Hague Tribunal. "As the Hague Tribunal has taken the dark decision to issue official confirmation that Ramus Haradinaj is innocent and is not a war criminal, it is necessary to hear the EU's official stand on this miscarriage of justice,” said Kostunica in a written statement, recalling that the EU had for years been using the Hague Tribunal as a key measure for the continuing its cooperation with Serbia. "If the EU still believes that after Ramush Haradinaj's acquittal the Hague Tribunal remains a credible and competent institution that can set conditions to assess Serbia's cooperation with the EU, it should be stated loud and clear. That way, the EU would also assume responsibility for the Tribunal’s decision to find Haradinaj innocent," underlined the prime minister. Kostunica pointed out that each and every Serbian citizen knew fine well that, with this sentence, the Hague had rewarded crime and had humiliated the innocent Serb victims that had died by Haradinaj's hand.

Prosecution to review Haradinaj verdict

Kavran said that “the prosecutor is particularly concerned about the problems with witnesses that the judge mentioned a number of times during his summing-up, as such problems call into question the prosecution’s ability to present evidence.”

The problem of bringing witnesses to the court was touched on by the prosecution on a number of occasions during the trial.

The trial chamber itself said that it had had big problems questioning witnesses, and that it had been under the firm impression that the trial was unfolding in an atmosphere in which witnesses did not feel safe, the spokeswoman said.

She said that the difficulties with bringing forward witnesses was reflected by the fact that 34 had testified using various protective measures, 18 only after receiving subpoenas having refused to testify earlier, while two came forward only after being charged, arrested and brought before the Tribunal.

“The case on charges of contempt of court against one of the witnesses that refused to testify, in expectation of being arrested, is still ongoing,” Kavran pointed out.

“In the verdict, the court simply confirmed what the prosecution had been saying the whole time, which was that it had not been able to present at the trial all the evidence that it had wanted to,” the spokeswoman explained.

Koštunica demands EU's views on acquittal

Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica today requested the European Union’s official position on the acquittal of Ramush Haradinaj by the Hague Tribunal.

"As the Hague Tribunal has taken the dark decision to issue official confirmation that Ramus Haradinaj is innocent and is not a war criminal, it is necessary to hear the EU's official stand on this miscarriage of justice,” said Koštunica in a written statement, recalling that the EU had for years been using the Hague Tribunal as a key measure for the continuing its cooperation with Serbia.

"If the EU still believes that after Ramush Haradinaj's acquittal the Hague Tribunal remains a credible and competent institution that can set conditions to assess Serbia's cooperation with the EU, it should be stated loud and clear. That way, the EU would also assume responsibility for the Tribunal’s decision to find Haradinaj innocent," underlined the prime minister.

Koštunica pointed out that each and every Serbian citizen knew fine well that, with this sentence, the Hague had rewarded crime and had humiliated the innocent Serb victims that had died by Haradinaj's hand.