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Kosovo ex-PM Ramush Haradinaj cleared of war crimes Kosovo ex-PM Ramush Haradinaj cleared of war crimes
(35 minutes later)
A UN war crimes tribunal has cleared former Kosovan Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj of war crimes after a retrial in The Hague. A UN war crimes tribunal has cleared former Kosovan Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj of war crimes dating back to 1998, after a retrial in The Hague.
Mr Haradinaj was cleared of the crimes in 2008, but the verdict was overturned on grounds of witness intimidation. Mr Haradinaj and two of his lieutenants from the Kosovo Liberation Army were accused of atrocities against Serb, Albanian and Roma civilians in 1998.
Prosecutors called for a 20-year sentence over allegations that he directed atrocities against Serb, Albanian and Roma civilians in 1998. But href="http://www.icty.org/x/cases/haradinaj/tjug/en/121129_summary.pdf" >the UN court ruled that the prosecution had not proved the case.
But the UN court ruled that the prosecution had not proved the case. He had been cleared of the crimes in 2008, but the verdict was quashed on the grounds of witness intimidation.
Mr Haradinaj, an ex-Kosovo Liberation Army fighter, was being tried with two others, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj. Mr Haradinaj and co-defendants Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj were all cleared of the charges.
They were all cleared of the charges. The indictment alleged they had been involved in a joint criminal enterprise to establish KLA control in western Kosovo through detention camps.
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, with 39 bodies found.
Ethnic Serbs and Albanians who were deemed to have collaborated with Serbs were allegedly tortured and killed there, with 39 bodies found. But judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia found there was no evidence to say the three men participated in such a plan.
Mr Haradinaj is the most senior ethnic Albanian indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Serb anger
Mr Haradinaj's supporters had said the retrial was based on flimsy evidence. Mr Haradinaj is the most senior ethnic Albanian indicted by the ICTY.
He has many supporters among the Kosovo Albanian community, and they had said the retrial was based on flimsy evidence.
Mr Haradinaj served as prime minister for 100 days in late 2004 and 2005, before he stepped down to deal with his first trial.
Crowds in the capital Pristina celebrated his acquittal by letting off fireworks and cheering.
Analysts say he is now likely to continue his political career.
His face is splashed across vast billboards in Kosovo, accompanied by slogans like "the leader who keeps his word" and "forward with a clean slate".
However, he is still considered a war criminal in Belgrade, and an arrest warrant has been issued against him by Serbia's war crimes prosecutor.
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade has enlisted the support of ally Russia to block any move for international recognition.
Before the verdict Serbian officials had warned that a not-guilty verdict would "jeopardise negotiations" between the two sides.
"Haradinaj's acquittal will distance us from reconciliation," said Oliver Antic, legal adviser to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic.
Many Serbs feel there has been little accountability for crimes committed against them during the wars of the 1990s.