Haradinaj gets temporary release from ICTY custody
Kosovo's former Prime Minister and war crimes indictee Ramush Haradinaj was temporarily released from UN custody Wednesday to attend a relative's funeral, despite the prosecution’s warnings of intimidation against witnesses in his case.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Thursday, October 04, 2007
Haradinaj is standing trial in front of the International War Crimes for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for alleged war crimes committed when he was a commander in the Kosovo Liberation Army during the 1998-99 conflict.
He has pleaded not guilty to 37 counts, including the murder, rape and torture of Serbs and other communities in Kosovo in 1998.
Earlier this year, judges refused to let Haradinaj return home during the court's summer recess, after prosecutors argued that his return to Kosovo would add to a climate of fear and intimidation among witnesses.
Several prosecution witnesses have said they are unwilling to testify against Haradinaj.
In granting his temporary release until October 7, tribunal judges imposed strict conditions. They ruled out any engagement in political activity, contacts with the media, or contact with any national or international official unless it was necessary for security reasons.
