The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has lifted the confidentiality order of an indictment against Kosovo Albanian journalist Baton Haxhiu following his arrest on 20 May 2008.

According to the indictment, Haxhiu, who was an editor of a newspaper in 2007, obtained information about a witness whose identity was protected. It is alleged that in contravention of Trial Chamber orders, the accused revealed the identity of the witness in an article he wrote and subsequently published.

Haradinaj acquitted

On 3 April 2008, Trial Chamber I acquitted Ramush Haradinaj and Idriz Balaj of all charges. The Prosecution had alleged that the two were responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Kosovo between March and September 1998. The third accused, Lahi Brahimaj was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment.

At the time of rendering the judgement, the Trial Chamber noted “the significant difficulties encountered by the Chamber in securing testimony of a large number of witnesses” during the trial.

On 1 May 2008, the Prosecution filed its Notice of Appeal in which it called on the Appeals Chamber to order a re-trial in the Haradinaj case due to what it described as the “prevailing circumstances of witness intimidation and fear”.

Press release