European Union judges in a Kosovo appeals court cleared an Albanian man who had previously been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the 2001 bombing of a Serbian bus, a spokeswoman said on Friday.

The appeals court ruled Thursday that the evidence against Florim Ejupi was insufficient.

The panel was comprised of judges from Eulex, the law-enforcing mission EU deployed to Kosovo in December.

It was the first ruling of the Eulex appeals court since the mission deployed four months ago.

Florim Ejupi received a 40-year sentence last year after he was "found guilty" of attack in Gracanica. He appealed against the verdict.

"He is released," Karin Limdal, spokeswoman for the European Union police and justice mission (EULEX). She did not give a reason for the decision.

The EULEX mission, composed of international police officers, customs agents, judges and prosecutors, was deployed in Kosovo in December to help the Balkan country build up its institutions.

Kosovo, where 90 percent of the 2 million people are ethnic Albanians, declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, with the backing of the West.


Agencies