THE HAGUE, Feb 18 (Hina) - Albanian politician Mahmut Bakali on Monday took the stand as the first witness in the trial against former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic at the Hague-based international war crimes tribunal.
Milosevic has been indicted of crimes against humanity in Croatia and Kosovo and genocide in Bosnia. Speaking in Albanian, Bakali testified about his meeting with Milosevic in the spring of 1998, when he warned Milosevic about the crimes Serb security troops were committing against Kosovo Albanians. He said Milosevic replied Serbia was fighting terrorism. In the 1970s Bakali was chairman of the province's committee of the Communist Alliance of Yugoslavia, and in 1981 was dismissed for his support to students' demonstrations in Kosovo. Later on he advocated the right of Kosovo gaining the status of a republic, that is, its independence. Bakali described how constitutional changes in Serbia,
THE HAGUE, Feb 18 (Hina) - Albanian politician Mahmut Bakali on
Monday took the stand as the first witness in the trial against
former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic at the Hague-based
international war crimes tribunal.
Milosevic has been indicted of crimes against humanity in Croatia
and Kosovo and genocide in Bosnia.
Speaking in Albanian, Bakali testified about his meeting with
Milosevic in the spring of 1998, when he warned Milosevic about the
crimes Serb security troops were committing against Kosovo
Albanians. He said Milosevic replied Serbia was fighting
terrorism.
In the 1970s Bakali was chairman of the province's committee of the
Communist Alliance of Yugoslavia, and in 1981 was dismissed for his
support to students' demonstrations in Kosovo.
Later on he advocated the right of Kosovo gaining the status of a
republic, that is, its independence.
Bakali described how constitutional changes in Serbia, which
rescinded Kosovo's autonomy, spurred the suffocation of the rights
of Albanians, their systematic harassment and mass dismissals.
He also described how a Kosovo Albanian senior delegation had, in
May 1998, at a meeting with Milosevic, warned about the abuse of
political prisoners in Kosovo, the quashing of the work of Albanian
media and the fact that the Education Agreement was not being
carried out.
Bakali had warned Milosevic that it was his personal responsibility
as president to prevent the crimes committed by forces of the
Serbian state security against Kosovo Albanians.
The prosecution began its process of evidence for the charges for
Kosovo with Bakali's testimony which will continue on Tuesday.
(hina) lml sb