AMSTERDAM, May 21 (Reuters) - Kosovan journalist Baton Haxhiu pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges of publishing the name of a protected witness during the war crimes trial of Kosovo's former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj.

Prosecutors at the U.N. tribunal in The Hague had indicted the Kosovan journalist and had him arrested on Tuesday for contempt of court. He was the third Kosovo Albanian to be charged with contempt of court in as many weeks.

Last month, prosecutors indicted Kosovo's former culture minister Astrit Haraqija and a ministry employee Bajrush Morina for allegedly interfering with a witness during Haradinaj's trial.

In April, a panel of tribunal judges cleared Haradinaj of all charges of torture, rape, murder and persecution of Serbs during a 1998-99 separatist war, but noted "significant difficulties" in securing testimony of many witnesses.

Earlier this month, prosecutors filed an appeal for Haradinaj's retrial due to what they said was "the prevailing circumstances of witness intimidation and fear".

(Reporting by Harro ten Wolde; Editing by Ibon Villelabeitia)

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