Kosovo's former prime minister acquitted of war crimes "The chamber found that the prosecution presented no direct evidence to prove that the established crimes were committed as part of a joint criminal enterprise in which the three accused participated," found the court. Serbia had predicted the acquittal which comes shortly after the UN court acquitted two Croatian generals on charges of killing and ethnically cleansing Serbs from Croatia's Krajina region. Ivica Dacic, the Serbian Prime Minister, has warned that the judgment will have serious consequences for EU-brokered negotiations between Serbia and his Kosovo. "It will surely jeopardise negotiations," said Oliver Antic, legal advisor to Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic. Haradinaj's acquittal will distance us from reconciliation. The conflict between armed KLA separatists and Serbia in Kosovo ended when Nato intervened with military strikes, including the bombing of Belgrade, to stop a crackdown on ethnic Albanians by Slobodan Milosevic, the Serbia President, who died in the war crimes court in 2006. More than 10,000 people died in the fighting which led to Kosovo becoming a protectorate under Nato and EU authority before it unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Mr Haradinaj, Mr Balaj, his lieutenant and commander of the feared "Black Eagles" unit, were the most senior KLA commanders to be tried on 37 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Both were acquitted in April 2008, while Mr Brahimaj, another KLA commander was convicted of torture and sentenced to six years in jail. UN judges however ordered the retrial for all three after prosecutors appealed the acquittal and Mr Brahimaj's sentence. Mr Haradinaj, who resigned as prime minister after 100 days in office to hand himself over to the tribunal for retrial and Mr Balaj returned to court for the verdict. The former prime minister, who established the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo party after the conflict, has been on provisional release since May 10 and living at home in Pristina. He is now likely to continue his political career in Kosovo and is expected to run again for prime minister under the slogan "forward with a clean slate." AFP reported jubilant scenes in Kosovo's capital Pristina as hundreds of ethnic Albanians celebrated the acquittal which was greeted with fireworks. Several hundred people braved the rain to watch the verdict being announced on a giant TV screen set up at Pristina's central square. "Justice has won, Kosovo has won," said Jahja Lluka, a political supporter of the former prime minister. Said Shpetim Felmanaj, a former KLA fighter, said: "We are awaiting his return with joy to lead Kosovo."