Politics _____ Kosovo: Serbia demands probe of former UN mission chief Belgrade, 10 April (AKI) - Serbia decided on Thursday ask United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon to probe the former chief of the UN mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) Soren Jessen Petersen (photo) for allegedly obstructing investigation of crimes against Serb civilians. The Serbian National Council for Cooperation with UN's Hague-based Yugoslav war crimes tribunal authorised its president Rasim Ljajic to demand an investigation of Petersen’s role in protecting former Kosovo prime minister Ramus Haradinaj who was charged with crimes against Serb civilians, but was acquitted by the tribunal last week. The acquittal triggered a storm in protests in Belgrade and the Council said in a statement it was a “serious blow to the international justice” and another “humiliation of the victims”. The Council said “Petersen and other persons” had obstructed investigation against Haradinaj and “therefore conscientiously and intentionally hampered justice”. The Former chief prosecutor at the Hague tribunal, Carla del Ponte, said in her book 'The Hunt' recently published in Italy that Petersen and other UN officials were uncooperative in investigating the charges against Haradinaj. Haradinaj, a former commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which began a rebellion against Belgrade rule in 1998, resigned as prime minister in 2005, after he was indicted by the tribunal. But he was later set free pending trial and the court acquitted him for lack of evidence. Del Ponte has often complained about intimidation of witnesses against Haradinaj and the Council pointed out that nine witnesses had been killed or died against suspicious circumstances before the trial. While in liberty, Haradinaj was allowed to carry on political activities and was often called “a dear friend” by Petersen and other UN and Kosovo officials. As a result, “some witnesses out of fear ignored the subpoenas and risked punishment, rather than testify,” the Council said. Ljajic was also authorised to demand the Hague tribunal investigate the reports, back up by Del Ponte’s book, that KLA soldiers had removed kidneys and other organs from abducted Serb civilians and selling them in the West. The Council said that if Hague prosecutors were unable to carry out such an investigation, they should hand any evidence they have gathered so far to the Serbian authorities, which are conducting their own probe. © GMC Group Ð all rights reserved Ð TVA number 01145141006 AKI - Adnkronos International, registered at the Rome Court 7th April 2003, registration number 156. Director: Giuseppe Marra
