War crimes court charges Kosovar minister for bullying witness
THE HAGUE (AFP) — The international court for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia said Friday it had charged a Kosovar minister for bullying a witness in the controversial trial of one of Kosovo's former leaders.
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) charged Culture Minister Astrit Araqija with contempt of court, along with his adviser Bajrush Morina. The two were supporters of former prime minister Ramush Haradinaj, who was acquitted of war crimes at the court this month.
The charge dates to January 8 but was only made public on Friday.
Charges against the two were triggered by events in July and August 2007, when the politicians tried in vain to convince an anonymous witness not to appear in court.
Police recorded conversations indicating that Morina even travelled to the witness's country of residence, at the Ministry of Culture's expense.
Haradinaj, 39, was being sought for the murder, torture and rape of Serbs and opponents in an alleged campaign of "ethnic cleansing" during the Kosovo war of 1998-1999, when he headed the Kosovo Liberation Army.
He was acquitted on April 3 for lack of evidence in a trial at which several witnesses refused to testify.
Serbs were angered by his acquittal, with Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica saying that the ICTY had "ridiculed justice."
Haradinaj, hailed by some Kosovars as a hero, was the highest ranking ex-leader of Kosovo to have been formally charged by the ICTY.
The prosecutor had called for Haradinaj and his two accomplices to serve a 25-year prison term.
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in February.
