For Immediate Release
04/06/2008
NAAC Welcomes The Hague Acquittal of Ramush Haradinaj
National Albanian American Council
1133 20th Street NW, Suite 210
Washington DC, 20036
Tel: (202) 466-6900
Fax: (202) 466-5593
naac@naac.org
www.naac.org
The National Albanian American Council welcomes the acquittal of Mr. Ramush Haradinaj, former Kosova Liberation Army (KLA) Commander and former Prime Minister of Kosova by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The acquittal of Mr. Haradinaj follows the previous acquittal of Mr. Fatmir Lima, former KLA commander, presently Minister of Energy of Kosova, which makes clear that the KLA were freedom fighters and patriots of the newly established Republic of Kosova.
The ICTY, established by Resolution 827 of the UN Security Council, has jurisdiction over individuals responsible for war crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia since 1991, and is the first international body for the prosecution of war crimes since the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials held in the aftermath of World War II. While all KLA members who have been indicted by the ICTY have reported for trial, the two men most responsible for the atrocities, Serbian General Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karagjic, remain at large. Ms. Carla Del Ponte, Chief Prosecutor, ICTY, has continuously spoken out against Serbia’s lack of commitment to capture those indicted and to send them to The Hague for trial.
NAAC urges the ICTY to remain firm that Serbia must arrest all those indicted by the ICTY as a requirement before EU membership discussion can even begin. In order for the region to move forward, those who were responsible for the worst atrocities in Europe since WWII must be brought to justice.
The National Albanian American Council is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advocating for Albanians and promoting peace and economic development in the Balkans by fostering democratic policy, promoting respect for human rights, and conducting educational and developmental programs. For more information on the National Albanian American Council visit us on the web at www.naac.org.
