Former Serbian justice minister says Kosovo premier "war criminal"
BBC Worldwide Monitoring - December 5, 2004, Sunday

Excerpt from report by Serbian independent news agency FoNet

Belgrade, 5 December: The former Serbian justice minister, Vladan Batic, said today that there was "extensive evidence" that Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj "is a terrorist and a war criminal".

Batic told a news conference that he had submitted documents on war crimes against Serbs to the Hague tribunal and UNMIK UN Mission in Kosovo at the time when he was the justice minister and recalled that he had also requested at the time that Haradinaj be handed over to the domestic judiciary.

Commenting on the Serbian government's reaction it asked UNMIK to annul the appointment of Ramush Haradinaj , Batic said that he was satisfied that this had "finally" happened, and pointed out that the government had been slow to react.

He went on to say that the Serbian president Boris Tadic and prime minister Vojislav Kostunica should also seek a meeting with the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan with regard to this issue.

"According to the information at our disposal, Haradinaj personally executed 67 killings, ordered at least 267 killings, and ordered or organized the kidnappings of at least 400 people," Batic said.

Batic said that Haradinaj was a commander of the so-called Dukadjin zone in Kosovo where most of the criminal acts had taken place and that by virtue of his position at the time he had command responsibility.

SOURCE: FoNet news agency, Belgrade, in Serbian 1350 gmt 5 Dec 04

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BBC Monitoring Europe - Political
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