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THE HAGUE / HARADINAJ AQUITTAL
STORY: THE HAGUE / HARADINAJ AQUITTAL
TRT: 1.04
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 29 NOVEMBER 2012, THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS
29 NOVEMBER 2012, THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS
1. Wide shot, Ramush Haradinaj, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj in the courtroom
2. Cutaway, courtroom
3. Med shot, judge
4. Med shot, Ramush Haradinaj listening to judgement
5. Med shot judge
6. Med shot, Ramush Haradinaj listening to judgement and taking seat
SOUND OVER PICTURE (English) Judge:
"The Chamber finds you not guilty on all counts in the Indictment. The Chamber orders that, you be released from the United Nations Detention Unit, subject to the completion of the necessary formalities, unless you are detained there pursuant to any other valid order of detention. You may be seated."
7. Med shot, judge
8. Wide shot, defendants getting up after delivery of judgement
In a partial retrial, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia today (29 November) acquitted the former prime minister of Kosovo, Ramush Haradinaj for a second time of war crimes allegedly committed as commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
The tribunal's Trial Chamber also acquitted of all charges Idriz Balaj, a former member of the KLA and commander of a special unit known as the Black Eagles, and Lahi Brahimaj, a member of the KLA stationed at Jabllanice/Jablanica and for a short period Deputy Commander of the Dukagjin Operative Zone.
The Trial Chamber ordered their immediate release.
The three Accused were charged as members of a Joint Criminal Enterprise or, alternatively, under other modes of individual criminal responsibility, with crimes allegedly committed by them or by other members of the Kosovo Liberation Army in 1998 against Kosovo Serbs, Kosovo Roma/Egyptian, Kosovo Albanian or other civilians in a compound of the KLA in the village of Jabllanice/Jablanica in Gjakove/Dakovica municipality.
The initial indictment against Haradinaj, Balaj and Brahimaj was 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 Trial Chamber found that there was insufficient evidence to establish the existence of a joint criminal enterprise in relation to the commission of crimes against humanity and violations of the laws or customs of war and acquitted the three accused of any criminal liability through such an enterprise. Haradinaj and Balaj were also acquitted of all alternative charges in the indictment. Brahimaj was found guilty of one count of torture as a violation of the laws or customs of war and another count of torture and cruel treatment as violations of the laws or customs of war and sentenced to six years of imprisonment.
On 21 July 2010, the Tribunal's 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 Jabllanice/Jablanica.
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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