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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Kosovo ex-PM in war crimes trial | Kosovo ex-PM in war crimes trial |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The trial of Kosovo's former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity has begun at The Hague tribunal. | The trial of Kosovo's former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity has begun at The Hague tribunal. |
| He is accused of taking part in a conspiracy to drive Serbs out of Kosovo through murder, rape and torture. | |
| "Be in no doubt that this warlord, his lieutenant and his jailer have blood on their hands," Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte said as the trial opened. | |
| Mr Haradinaj and two former colleagues deny all the 37 charges against them. | |
| Mr Haradinaj resigned and surrendered himself to the tribunal in March 2005. | Mr Haradinaj resigned and surrendered himself to the tribunal in March 2005. |
| He and his co-defendants, Idriz Balaj and Lahi Brahimaj, could face life imprisonment if convicted of any of the charges. | |
| Suspected collaborators | Suspected collaborators |
| Mr Haradinaj, 38, was a senior leader in the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which fought a separatist campaign against Yugoslav forces during the 1998-99 Kosovo conflict. | Mr Haradinaj, 38, was a senior leader in the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which fought a separatist campaign against Yugoslav forces during the 1998-99 Kosovo conflict. |
| He is the highest-ranking Kosovo Albanian to face trial in The Hague. | He is the highest-ranking Kosovo Albanian to face trial in The Hague. |
| He is accused of masterminding the campaign to expel the Serb minority from the Dukagjin region of Kosovo during the war. | He is accused of masterminding the campaign to expel the Serb minority from the Dukagjin region of Kosovo during the war. |
| Idriz Balaj was commander of a special unit of the KLA, the Black Eagles, and Lahi Brahimaj was one of Mr Haradinaj's deputies. | Idriz Balaj was commander of a special unit of the KLA, the Black Eagles, and Lahi Brahimaj was one of Mr Haradinaj's deputies. |
| Together, they are accused of atrocities against Serbs, Roma, and ethnic Albanians suspected of collaboration. | Together, they are accused of atrocities against Serbs, Roma, and ethnic Albanians suspected of collaboration. |
| Mr Haradinaj was elected prime minister of the Serbian province, which has been administered by the United Nations since the war, at the end of 2004. | Mr Haradinaj was elected prime minister of the Serbian province, which has been administered by the United Nations since the war, at the end of 2004. |
| But he stepped down after just three months in office following the publication of his indictment. | But he stepped down after just three months in office following the publication of his indictment. |
| Many Kosovo Albanians remain enthusiastic supporters of Mr Haradinaj, says the BBC's South-east Europe analyst, Gabriel Partos. | Many Kosovo Albanians remain enthusiastic supporters of Mr Haradinaj, says the BBC's South-east Europe analyst, Gabriel Partos. |
| And as leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, the junior partner in Kosovo's government, he remains a powerful politician. | And as leader of the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, the junior partner in Kosovo's government, he remains a powerful politician. |
| Uniquely among war crimes suspects, the tribunal has allowed him to carry out political activities while awaiting trial, because he has been urging calm in the province. | Uniquely among war crimes suspects, the tribunal has allowed him to carry out political activities while awaiting trial, because he has been urging calm in the province. |