Kosovo’s opposition leader travels through Tirana to get back to Kosovo, speaks at airport
TIRANA, June 20 – Kosovo’s opposition leader, Ramush Haradinaj, was released from detention by Slovenian authorities and flew to Tirana International Airport before being driven to Prishtina.
Late Friday last week authorities in Slovenia gave Haradinaj back his passport and let him go after detaining him to investigate a Serbian warrant.
Haradinaj is a former Kosovo guerrilla fighter who has turned politician, including the post of prime minister. In 2004 Serbia had issued an international arrest warrant on him, as it has with many Kosovo politicians who fought for independence.
Haradinaj also handed himself over to the Hague Tribunal and was declared innocent after the trial.
Haradinaj was detained last week while he was returning to Kosovo after an official trip to Germany.
The former prime minister is wanted by Serbia on charges of committing war crimes against Serb civilians during the 1998-99 war, including kidnappings, torture and killings.
A U.N. war crimes tribunal cleared him of similar war crimes charges.
Haradinaj is also the leader of the Alliance for Kosovo’s Future Party.
“We have respected Slovenia in Kosovo and have made no provocation against it. Meanwhile, I was detained at a country based on a warrant issued from another state that no longer exists. That is a dirty and unfair game,” Haradinaj told journalists at the Tirana airport.
Haradinaj also criticized his country’s president and prime minister for their statements on his case.
