| PRESS ADVISORY |
(Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document)
VVE/CS/PA517e
Haradinaj et al. Judgement to be rendered on 29 November 2012
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| Ramush Haradinaj, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj |
The Judgement in the retrial case of Ramush Haradinaj, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj, three former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), will be rendered on Thursday, 29 November 2012 at 9:00 in Courtroom III.
Journalists wishing to cover the hearing should send an email to press [at] icty.org by Tuesday, 27 November, 5:00 pm.
The email should contain the name of the media outlet as well as full name, passport number and contact details of all journalists and AV technicians coming to the Tribunal.
Other members of the public wishing to attend the hearing should send an email to kralt.icty [at] un.org for more information on the procedure and the available space.
This case concerns crimes allegedly committed between 1 March and 30 September 1998 in the Dukagjin area of Western Kosovo. During that period Haradinaj was a commander of the KLA in Dukagjin area, Balaj was the commander of the Black Eagles Unit within the KLA, and Brahimaj a KLA member stationed in the force’s Jablanica/Jabllanicë headquarters in Ðakovica/Gjakovë municipality.
In April 2008, the Trial Chamber acquitted Haradinaj and Balaj of all charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and sentenced Brahimaj to six years’ imprisonment for cruel treatment and torture of two persons at the Jablanica/Jabllanicë headquarters of the KLA.
On 21 July 2011, the Appeals Chamber partially quashed the acquittals and ordered the re-trial of all three accused on six counts of the indictment relating to the cruel treatment, torture and murder of prisoners in the KLA-run camp in Jablanica/Jabllanicë. The Appeals Chamber found that the Trial Chamber had failed to take sufficient steps to counter the witness intimidation that permeated the trial, in particular, to facilitate the Prosecution’s request to secure the testimony of two witnesses. According to the Appeals Chamber, given the potential importance of these witnesses to the Prosecution’s case, the Trial Chamber’s error undermined the fairness of the proceedings and resulted in a miscarriage of justice.
The initial indictment against Haradinaj and his two co-accused had been issued on 4 March 2005. All three surrendered on 9 March 2005. The trial commenced on 5 March 2007 with the Prosecution’s case ending in November 2007. All three defence teams chose not to call any evidence. The Trial Chamber Judgement was rendered on 3 April 2008. The Judgement on Appeal was rendered on 21 July 2010. The re-trial commenced on 18 August 2011 and the Prosecution closed its case on 20 April 2012. There were no Defence cases. Closing arguments were heard on 25, 26, and 27 June 2012.
The Tribunal has indicted a total of 14 individuals, both Serbs and Kosovo Albanians, for crimes committed in Kosovo. Of these, cases against five individuals have been completed. Two cases are at the appeals stage: that of Vlastimir Ðorđević, a former senior Serbian police official charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes, and Šainović et al. case, in which five senior Serb officials are facing charges of crimes against humanity committed against Kosovo Albanian civilians in 1999.
Since its establishment, the Tribunal has indicted 161 persons for serious violations of humanitarian law committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia between 1991 and 2001. Proceedings against 128 have been concluded. Proceedings are currently ongoing for 33 accused.
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The Judgement will be broadcast live on the Tribunal’s website
The Spokesperson for Registry and Chambers, Magdalena Spalińska, can be reached on +31 (0)6 5127 1242 or +31(0)70 512 5066 and spalinska [at] un.org
For further information please call the Media Office at +31 (70) 512-8752 or -5343 or -5356.
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
For more information, please contact our Media Office in The Hague
Tel.: +31-70-512-8752; 512-5343; 512-5356 - Email: press [at] icty.org ()
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