A third indictment for contempt of court is issued against yet another witness who refused to comply with the binding order to testify in the trial against three former KLA commanders charged with crimes against Albanian, Serbian and Roma civilians in 1998


Sadri Selca was charged with contempt of court and arrested following his refusal to comply with an order to testify in the case against three former KLA commanders, it was announced today at the Tribunal.

The indictment alleges that the Trial Chamber issued a subpoena – an order to testify before the court - to Sadri Selca on the 1 June 2007 ordering him to appear before the Tribunal on 21 June 2007. The UNMIK police served the order on 13 June 2007 but Selca had already stated he did not intend to comply with it. And indeed, Sadri Selca didn’t appear before the Tribunal on 21 June 2007. He thereby consciously and deliberately obstructed justice, the indictment alleges, which is tantamount to contempt of court.

Sadri Selca is the third witness at the trial of Haradinaj, Balaj and Brahimaj charged with contempt of court for failing to comply with subpoena. Shefqet Kabashi and Avni Krasniqi were charged with contempt of court before him, and this might happen to the protected witness testifying under the pseudonym 30. He failed to appear at the location where he was supposed to give his evidence via video link. He too had been given a subpoena issued by the Trial Chamber.

Since the beginning of the trial of former KLA commanders for crimes against Albanian, Serbian and Roma civilians in the summer of 1998, the prosecution has complained against the campaign of intimidation and pressure which has led many witnesses to decide not to testify before the Tribunal. Some were so determined that they ended up charged with contempt of court. Spending a few months in prison or having to pay a few thousand Euros for contempt of court is more acceptable to them than the risk they’d run by testifying as prosecution witnesses at the trial of Haradinaj, Balaj and Brahimaj.

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