ICJ: Kosovo Independence Declaration Does Not Violate International Law Or Resolution 1244
Pristina | 22 July 2010 |Ten judges on the top UN court voted in favour of the advisory opinion, including the president of the court. Four judges voted against, with one abstention.
The court began reading out its advisory opinion at 3pm today.
Earlier today two well placed sources told Balkan Insight that nine out of 14 judges considering the International Court of Justice’s case on whether Kosovo’s declaration of independence was legal voted in favour of the view that the move ‘does not run counter to international law’, four against and one had abstained.
In fact, 10 of the 14-strong panel, including the chairman, voted for and four against.
One source told Balkan Insight that Belgrade had been informed yesterday.
After Kosovo's ethnic Albanians declared unilateral independence in February 2008, Serbia, which bitterly opposes the independence declaration, took the case to the International Court of Justice, ICJ. Hearings in the case lasted from December 1 to 11, 2009, and the court announced that it will deliver its non-binding advisory opinion today.
Pristina has said it believes that the top UN court will rule in its favour, while Belgrade has indicated that it is convinced that the opinion will support Serbia's position.
For more, please see: Boris Tadic, Serbia's Superman, Vuk Jeremic, Mr Kosovo, and Oliver Ivanovic, From Karate to Politics
Skender Hyseni – Seeker of Recognitions,
Fatmir Sedjiu - Rugova's Successor,
Hashim Thaci - From 'Snake' to Prime Minister
See also: Kosovo, Serbia Prepare for Post-ICJ Battle, and From Racak to the ICJ Ruling: Kosovo Timeline Since 1999
2010-07-22 14:41:41