UNITED NATIONS International Tribunal for the Case No. IT-04-84 bis -T Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Serious Violations of Date: 29 November 2012 International Humanitarian Law Committed in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991 Original: English IN TRIAL CHAMBER II Before: Judge Bakone Justice Moloto, Presiding Judge Burton Hall Judge Guy Delvoie Registrar: Mr. John Hocking Judgement: 29 November 2012 PROSECUTOR v. RAMUSH HARADINAJ IDRIZ BALAJ LAHI BRAHIMAJ PUBLIC JUDGEMENT WITH CONFIDENTIAL ANNEX The Office of the Prosecutor: Mr. Paul Rogers Mr. Aditya Menon Ms. Daniela Kravetz Ms. Priya Gopalan Ms. Barbara Goy Counsel for the Accused: Mr. Ben Emmerson QC, Mr. Rodney Dixon and Mr. Andrew Strong for Ramush Haradinaj Mr. Gregor Guy-Smith and Ms. Colleen Rohan for Idriz Balaj Mr. Richard Harvey and Mr. Paul Troop for Lahi Brahimaj CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................1 II. CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE EVALUATION OF EVIDENCE........................4 III. STRUCTURE AND ORGANISATION OF THE KLA IN THE DUKAGJIN ZONE ........6 A. EMERGENCE AND GENERAL STRUCTURE OF THE KLA..................................................................6 1. KLA General Staff...................................................................................................................6 2. Number of KLA forces in 1998...............................................................................................7 3. The KLA zones of operation in Kosovo..................................................................................9 4. Logistics and organisation of the KLA..................................................................................10 (a) Funding................................................................................................................................... 10 (b) Uniforms ................................................................................................................................ 10 (c) Weapons................................................................................................................................. 11 (d) Recruitment............................................................................................................................ 12 (e) Training .................................................................................................................................. 13 (f) Discipline................................................................................................................................ 14 B. THE KLA IN THE DUKAGJIN ZONE ..............................................................................................15 1. The village defence organisation ...........................................................................................15 2. The designation of the sub-zones and the creation of the Regional Staff on 26 May 1998 ..20 3. Command and control within the Dukagjin zone until 23 June 1998....................................23 4. Jabllanicë/Jablanica................................................................................................................26 5. Creation of the Dukagjin Operational Zone...........................................................................28 (a) Meeting on 23 June 1998: creation of the Dukagjin Operational Zone and Dukagjin Operational Staff................................................................................................................... 28 (b) Command and control in the Dukagjin Operational Zone after 23 June 1998 ...................... 31 6. The creation of the joint command: merging KLA and FARK forces ..................................34 7. Relationship between the Dukagjin Operational Zone and the KLA General Staff..............37 8. Change of commander of the Dukagjin Operational Zone....................................................38 9. The Black Eagles ...................................................................................................................40 10. KLA military police.............................................................................................................44 IV. EVENTS IN THE TERRITORY OF THE KLA DUKAGJIN ZONE IN THE PERIOD MARCH TO SEPTEMBER 1998............................................................................................50 A. EVENTS IN THE TERRITORY OF THE DUKAGJIN ZONE BETWEEN MARCH AND JUNE 1998............50 1. Territorial control and Serbian forces operations ..................................................................50 2. KLA attacks on the police......................................................................................................61 3. Kidnapping, mistreatment and killing of civilians by the KLA.............................................67 (a) Individual incidents of kidnapping, mistreatment and killing of civilians by the KLA......... 67 (i) Jah Bushati.......................................................................................................................... 67 (ii) Mijat Stojanovi}, Dragoslav Stojanovi} and Veselin Stijovi}........................................... 71 (iii) Novak Stijovi} and Stani{a Radoševi} ............................................................................. 77 (iv) Slobodan Rado{ević, Milo{ Radunović, Milica Radunovi} and the Markovi} family..... 80 (v) Dara (Darinka) Kovač (née Vujošević), Vukosava Marković (née Vujošević), Milovan Vlahovi} and Milka Vlahović........................................................................................... 86 (vi) Other incidents.................................................................................................................. 88 (vii) Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 92 (b) General statements on kidnapping, mistreatment and killing of civilians by the KLA ......... 92 B. EVENTS IN THE TERRITORY OF DUKAGJIN OPERATIONAL ZONE BETWEEN JULY AND SEPTEMBER 1998 .....................................................................................................................97 1. Interactions between the FARK and KLA.............................................................................97 (a) Deployment of FARK forces to the Dukagjin Operational Zone........................................... 97 (b) Incident in Gllogjan/Gloñane in Deçan/Dečani municipality on 4 July 1998 ..................... 100 (c) Subsequent interactions between the FARK and KLA........................................................ 104 2. Serbian forces operations between July and September 1998 in the Dukagjin Operational Zone...................................................................................................................................106 3. Other incidents between July and September 1998 .............................................................112 (a) European Community Monitoring Mission ......................................................................... 112 (b) Sanije Balaj .......................................................................................................................... 115 (c) Other incidents ..................................................................................................................... 119 4. Investigations by Serbian authorities of the canal area near Lake Radoniq/Radonji}, the road leading to Dashinoc/Da{inovac and Ratish-i-Ulët/Donji Ratiš, and Ekonomija Farm ..................................................................................................................................120 (a) General observations on the forensic examinations and identification of the human remains found ..................................................................................................................... 121 (b) Canal area at Lake Radoniq/Radonjić.................................................................................. 122 (i) Investigations in canal area at Lake Radoniq/Radonjić.................................................... 125 (ii) Remains at Lake Radoniq/Radonjić and subsequent identification................................. 127 a. Misin Berisha................................................................................................................. 130 b. Zenun Gashi .................................................................................................................. 130 c. Velizar Stošić................................................................................................................. 134 d. Nurije Krasniqi and Istref Krasniqi ............................................................................... 134 e. Malush Meha ................................................................................................................. 136 f. Ilira Frrokaj .................................................................................................................... 136 g. Kujtim Imeraj ................................................................................................................ 138 (c) Road leading to Ratish–i-Ulët/Donji Ratiš and Dashinoc/Dašinovac.................................. 138 (d) Ekonomija Farm................................................................................................................... 139 (i) Investigations in Ekonomija Farm...................................................................................