Prosecutors oppose provisional release for former Kosovo PM News
Prosecutors oppose provisional release for former Kosovo PM

[JURIST] Prosecutors at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia [official website] Thursday announced their opposition to a provisional release of Kosovo's former prime minister, Ramush Haradinaj, pending trial. Albanian Haradinaj, who had pleaded not guilty [JURIST report] on 37 counts of war crimes [ICTY indictment], was a former senior commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army [FAS backgrounder] alleged to have committed war crimes during the 1998-99 war against the Serbs in Kosovo. Kosovo's government has offered legal aid to Haradinaj and echoed his call for provisional release. Haradinaj was released briefly in April under tight restrictions to attend the funeral of his brother [JURIST report], who was shot in an apparent ambush in Kosovo. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

President Reagan fired 11,000 striking air traffic controllers

On August 5, 1981, under orders from President Reagan, the federal government began firing air traffic controllers who had gone on strike two days previous for better pay, hours and working conditions. Learn more about the PATCO air traffic control strike. Listen to an excerpt of an August 3, 1981 speech by President Reagan (courtesy of the History Channel) emphasizing that the controllers had taken an oath not to strike against the government and threatening to terminate their jobs if they did not report for duty in 48 hours.

Burkina Faso gains independence

On August 5, 1960, Burkina Faso gained independence from France. Read the constitution of Burkina Faso.