| PRESS RELEASE |
TRIBUNAL
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| (Exclusively for the use of the media. Not an official document) |
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The Hague, 26 August 2011
IJ/MOW/PR1434e
Two Judges withdraw from the Kabashi Contempt Case
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| Shefqet Kabashi |
At this afternoon’s further hearing in the contempt of court case of Shefqet Kabashi, Judge Bakone Justice Moloto and Judge Guy Delvoie asked to be replaced as judges on the panel in order to avoid any appearance of partiality as they both already sit in the related Haradinaj et al. case.
The President’s decision on the assignment of new judges to the case will be rendered in due course.
Shefqet Kabashi, a former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), was charged with contempt of court on 5 June 2007 and 20 November 2007 after refusing or failing to answer questions while testifying before the Trial Chamber in the case of Ramush Haradinaj and others. At his further initial appearance today, Kabashi pleaded guilty to all contempt of court charges.
Kabashi is a key prosecution witness in the re-trial of the Ramush Haradinaj et al. case as his testimony relates to the defendants’ alleged responsibility for crimes committed at the KLA headquarters and the prison in Jablanica/Jabllanicë. Haradinaj, former KLA Commander and Prime Minister of Kosovo, and his two co-Accused Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj, are being re-tried on six counts of the indictment relating to the torture and murder of prisoners in the KLA-run camp in Jablanica/Jabllanicë. When ordering a partial re-trial of the case in July 2010, the Appeals Chamber found that the Trial Chamber had erred in failing to secure Kabashi’s testimony, and that of one other witness, thereby depriving the Prosecution of vital support for its case.
Kabashi was arrested on 17 August 2011 by the Dutch authorities and transferred to the Tribunal’s custody on 18 August 2011. His initial appearance was held on 19 August 2011.
The next hearing in the case will be announced in due course.
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A copy of the amended indictment and a Case Information Sheet can be found at the following link.
A copy of the Appeals Chamber Judgement in the Haradinaj et al. case can be found at the following link.
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International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia
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