Kosovo Police Clash With Protesters Over Hague War Court Bill

Kosovo police clashed with protesters outside the country's parliament building after the legislature ended its session without passing a bill aimed at curbing the powers of the Special Court in The Hague — the body that tries crimes committed during the 1998-2000 Kosovo war.

According to reports from the scene, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the parliament building in Pristina, including supporters and veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), the ethnic Albanian guerrilla force that fought Serbian troops during the war. Some tried to block lawmakers from leaving the building after the session ended. Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the crowd, while some protesters threw flares and firecrackers.

Naser Syla, the emergency director at a Pristina hospital, said 12 people were injured, 11 of them civilians.

The controversial bill was introduced after rulings on September 16, when former President Hashim Thaci and three other former KLA commanders were convicted of war crimes. Thaci was sentenced to 25 years in prison, while his co-defendants received sentences ranging from 13 to 25 years. All denied the charges. The verdicts sparked weeks of protests and were unanimously condemned by Kosovo's parliament in late September.

The Special Court was established in 2015 as an independent part of Kosovo's judicial system, headquartered in The Hague with international staff. It was created under pressure from Western allies to prosecute allegations of crimes by KLA members, and was located outside Kosovo in part because of concerns over political pressure and threats to witnesses.

Critics argue the court's rulings are too harsh. The bill put before parliament would cap sentences at 15 years, allow sentences to be served in Kosovo and allow appeals to the country's Supreme Court. The bill passed its first reading the same evening, but parliament adjourned before holding a second vote.

The court reform issue is also tied to the political battle over the presidency. Kosovo's Constitutional Court ruled that the country has until October 6 to elect a president. If lawmakers fail to do so, parliament will be dissolved and Kosovo will face another snap election.

The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the largest opposition party and the bill's sponsor, has linked its support for electing a president to the bill's successful passage. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Albin Kurti's Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) party wants the presidential vote held first. Kurti supports keeping the bill under review but told parliament that the changes had been rushed through hastily, and said the appeals process should be used to challenge the controversial September verdicts.

The 1998-1999 war in Kosovo killed around 13,000 people, most of them ethnic Albanians, and forced about one million Kosovo Albanians from their homes. The conflict ended after NATO's 78-day bombing campaign against Serbian forces. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade still does not recognize its sovereignty.