Pristina - 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, local reports said Friday.

The appeals court ruled Thursday that the evidence against Florim Ejupi was insufficient for a conviction and ordered his release. 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.

In June 2008 Ejupi was convicted of planting and detonating the bomb that destroyed the Serbian bus near Podujevo in northern Kosovo. He had already spent five years either in detention and prison.

The vehicle, carrying 57 passengers from Nis to a Serb enclave in Kosovo, was travelling within a convoy protected by Swedish UN peacekeepers. The blast killed 11 and wounded 22 of the passengers.

Kosovo's Albanian majority declared independence from Serbia a year ago with Western backing, but Belgrade continues to fight the move with Russian support.

Serbia has criticized international community missions in Kosovo, saying they are biased in favour of the Albanians. It is likely to balk at the latest verdict as well. (dpa)