The Judgement against Ramush Haradinaj, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj, three former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), will be rendered on Thursday, 3 April 2008 at 16.00 hours in Courtroom I.

The three are charged with participation in a joint criminal enterprise (JCE), the alleged purpose of which was to consolidate the KLA’s total control over areas of northwestern Kosovo from around March 1998 until at least late September 1998. The specific areas were part of the KLA operational zone of Dukagjin which encompassed the municipalities of Peć/Pejë, Dečani/Deçan, Ðakovica/Gjakovë, as well as parts of Istok/Istog and Klina/Klinë municipalities.

In their attempts to fulfill the aims of the JCE the three accused are alleged to have participated in the unlawful removal and mistreatment of Serb and Kosovar Roma/Egyptian civilians and the mistreatment of Kosovar Albanian civilians and other civilians, who were, or were perceived to have been, collaborating with Serbian forces or otherwise not supporting the KLA.

The Prosecution’s indictment alleges that in late March 1998 KLA forces under the command and control of Haradinaj mounted a military campaign to seize control of the area between the villages of Glođane/Gllogjan and Dečani/Deçan and particularly the villages of Dubrava/Dubravë, Rznić/Irzniq, Ratiš/Ratishë and Dašinovac/Dashinoc and to drive ethnic Serbs out of the villages where they were living.

The indictment also states that the KLA forces under the command and control of Haradinaj, including the "Black Eagles" under the direct command of Idriz Balaj, harassed, beat or otherwise drove Serb and Roma/Egyptian civilians out of these villages, killing many of them who remained behind or refused to abandon their homes.

The Prosecution alleges that during the indictment period, the KLA used the Radonjić/Radoniq canal area as a place where they carried out executions and dumped the bodies of some of their victims. It is further alleged that in mid-May 1998, a make-shift detention facility at the KLA headquarters in Jablanica/Jabllanicë was established where detainees were given very little food or water, were regularly beaten and subjected to other forms of physical mistreatment and denied medical treatment for their injuries. The Prosecution maintains that a number of prisoners at the Jablanica/Jabllanicë detention facility died as a result of their injuries, or were executed on orders of the Accused.

Ramush Haradinaj, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj are also charged with having been individually criminally responsible for the planning, instigating, ordering, committing, or otherwise aiding and abetting in the crimes of persecution, unlawful detention, cruel treatment, torture, rape and murder. 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 closing arguments were heard between 21 and 23 January 2008. 

A case information sheet providing an overview of the case can be found on the Tribunal’s website at: http://www.un.org/icty/cases-e/cis/haradinaj/cis-haradinajal.pdf

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Courtroom proceedings can be followed on the Tribunal’s website at www.un.org/icty.