Former ICTY lawyer Toby Cadman has raised serious concerns over Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s claims that he received advance information about the outcome of the Hague proceedings against former KLA leaders.
Speaking to RTV Dukagjini, Cadman said that if Vučić’s claims are true, they should be investigated.
Vučić has reportedly claimed that he received information from the court’s intelligence about the expected outcome, while also saying that foreign diplomats informed him after meetings in Paris.
“If that is true, it would be deeply concerning,” Cadman said, stressing that it would be unprecedented for such information to be disclosed before a verdict.
He further noted that any communication between foreign states and the court that could affect its independence or impartiality would be highly problematic.
“Any discussions with foreign states would directly affect the independence and impartiality of the court,” Cadman said, adding that such discussions would not be permissible.
Cadman also referred to the case of Ramush Haradinaj at the ICTY, where alleged Serbian influence over investigations had previously been challenged.
According to Cadman, these issues go directly to the justice, transparency and legitimacy of the proceedings. If they are not properly addressed by the trial panel, he said, the defense teams would have grounds to raise them on appeal if the defendants are convicted.
The question is therefore straightforward: If Vučić really knew the verdict in advance, who told him — and how?
#Kosovo #KLA #UCK #Hague #TobyCadman #Vucic #Serbia #Justice #WarCrimes #RuleOfLaw #InternationalJustice
