Serbian TV special programme on Kosovo ex-PM trial in Hague
BBC Monitoring Europe (Political) - March 6, 2007 Tuesday

Text of report by Serbian TV on 5 March

On 5 March, Radio-TV Serbia or RTS dedicates its 30-min-long Eye topical issues programme to the start of the trial at the Hague tribunal of a former Kosovo PM and the deputy commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Ramush Haradinaj.

The introductory report focuses on Hague chief prosecutor Carla Del Ponte saying she might be forced to drop charges against Haradinaj unless witnesses manage appear at the tribunal. She adds that witnesses are either being killed or intimidated.

Two guests take part in the discussion section of the programme: journalist Mika Mihajlovic, who is described by the presenter as "Kosovo expert" who knows "all" KLA members, and Serbian lawyer Toma Fila, who is defending Serbs on trial in The Hague.

Lawyer Fila calls Haradinaj ironically "a great humanitarian, after whom there are no survivors left", adding that "the international community is intentionally portraying him as a freedom fighter who contributes to peace and ethnic tolerance in Kosovo".

The discussion is then interrupted with a lengthy live report from The Hague about the trial.

When the discussion resumes, journalist Mihajlovic says Haradinaj is quite a controversial person: "He is the only one who goes to court after writing the best indictment against himself, i.e., his book `Stories About War and Freedom', which the prosecution, unfortunately, did not include in the list of evidence". Mihajlovic goes on to stress: "The message that it is a great risk to testify against Ramush Haradinaj is being constantly conveyed to witnesses. It is conveyed by Haradinaj, by the Kosovo government, by the people running the Kosovo administration".

"The very fact that the indictment contained 37 parts at the beginning, and that 21 parts have been amended since then reveals the fact that witnesses have been intimidated," he adds.

Mihajlovic recalls that "Ralph Mutschke, Interpol anti-terrorism unit deputy head, said in a testimony to the US Congress on 13 December 2000 that an Al-Qa'idah unit was in Metohija in 1998 and 1999, which was commanded by Mohamed Al-Zawahiri, Dr Ayman Al-Zawahiri's brother... He said that the unit had been deployed in Metohija, where great crimes had been committed".

The lawyer of ex-Yugoslav Army CGS Ojdanic, Tomislav Visnjic, says live from The Hague that Del Ponte's "unusual" opening statement is meant to draw attention to the lack of "minimum legal security in Kosovo". He also believes that the trial "will be over in four months if that long" and not nine as announced, as Del Ponte made it clear today she does not have enough witnesses. Referring to the trial's duration, Fila adds: "It depends on the mortality of witnesses."

Source: RTS 1 TV, Belgrade, in Serbian 1725 gmt 5 Mar 07

Copyright 2007 British Broadcasting Corporation
Posted for Fair Use only.