Kosovo ex-PM awaits UN war crimes tribunal’s verdictNovember 29, 2012 - 12:07 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A UN war crimes tribunal is due to deliver a verdict in the partial retrial of former Kosovan Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, BBC News reported. Haradinaj was acquitted in 2008 but the verdict was overturned on grounds of witness intimidation. Prosecutors have called for a 20-year sentence over allegations that he directed atrocities against Serb, Albanian and Roma civilians in 1998. The ex-Kosovo Liberation Army fighter is being tried with two co-accused. Haradinaj and Idriz Balaj were acquitted on 37 counts of war crimes in the earlier trial, and are being retried on some of those counts. A second co-defendant, Lahi Brahimaj, was convicted in 2008 of torture and sentenced to six years, is now being retried on four counts. The indictment against all three defendants alleged they had been involved in a joint criminal enterprise to establish KLA control in western Kosovo through detention camps. Ethnic Serbs and Albanians who were deemed to have collaborated with Serbs were allegedly tortured and killed there, with 39 bodies found. Haradinaj is the most senior ethnic Albanian indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. His supporters say the retrial was unfounded - and based on flimsy evidence. Earlier this month there were protests in Belgrade after the UN tribunal acquitted two Croatian generals previously convicted of crimes against their country's Serb minority. "Here in Serbia it's very important to accept that the Serbian police and military committed serious crimes against the Albanians," Natasa Kandic of the Humanitarian Law Centre told the BBC. "But the Albanian community should also accept that the Kosovo Liberation Army organized revenge, killing Serbs who decided to stay in Kosovo." Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | The Power of One Dram to benefit Road of Life charity The companies inform that the May beneficiary of The Power of One Dram is the “Road of Life” charitable organization. Ucom General Director gives lecture at French University in Armenia The General Director of Ucom Ralph Yirikian delivered a lecture at the French University of Armenia. Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. |