Protests intensified in Kosovo against the decision of the War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague

In Kosovo, protesters demonstrated in front of parliament and government buildings, demanding the adoption of a legal regulation that will limit the powers of the Kosovo War Crimes Tribunal in The Hague. At least 17 people were injured in clashes between demonstrators and police.

The protests took place weeks after former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and three co-defendants were sentenced to a total of 81 years in prison for war crimes.

Demonstrators gathered in front of the parliament and government buildings in the center of Pristina and threw stones and fireworks at police barricades.

Police used tear gas and water pressurized to disperse the crowd.

According to the Kosovo police statement, at least 17 people, including 6 police officers, were injured in the incidents. Three demonstrators were detained.

THE LAW CHANGE PASSED THE FIRST VOTE

Earlier in the day, the Kosovo Parliament accepted in the first reading the regulation that provides for changes to the law establishing the Kosovo Expert Chambers in The Hague.

The demonstrators then blocked the exits of the parliament building, preventing the MPs from leaving and demanding that the second vote required for the amendments to become law be held on the same day.

The proposed changes envisage limiting the prison sentences imposed by the Expert Chambers to 15 years.

The regulation also includes granting the defendants the right to appeal to the Supreme Court of Kosovo, the execution of sentences in Kosovo, and granting the President of Kosovo the authority to grant amnesty to the convicts.

CAUTIOUS APPROACH FROM KURTI

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, on the other hand, kept his distance from the regulations.

In his speech in parliament, Kurti stated that the change initiatives were rushed and not evaluated sufficiently.

While Kurti's party supported the regulation in the first vote, it did not support the second vote, which was requested to be held on the same day for the changes proposed by Thaçi's former party, the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK).

Kosovo Expert Chambers were established in 2015, as a result of international pressure, to prosecute crimes allegedly committed by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during and after the Kosovo War in 1998-1999.

Last month, the Hague-based court found former President Hashim Thaci, 58, guilty of war crimes including murder, torture and illegal detention and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.

Thaci and three other defendants objected to the decision.