Kosovo protesters use flares, tear gas against a war crimes court official

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Protesters in Kosovo used flares and tear gas Wednesday to protest a senior war crimes court official in the capital, Pristina.

Protesters tried to enter a hotel where Kosovo Specialist Chamber Court President Ekaterina Trendafilova was meeting members of civil society.

Trendafilova who works at The Hague investigating and prosecuting war crimes allegedly committed in Kosovo between 1998 and 2000.

Approximately 100 demonstrators carried banners that read: "Trendafil OUT", "Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) cannot be tried" and "Propaganda has failed."

Demonstrators used tear gas to cross a police cordon.

After the speech made by KLA Veterans Organization Deputy Chairman Faton Klinaku, smoke bombs were thrown at the entrance to the hotel by protesters.

Kosovo police responded with tear spray and detained some of the demonstrators.

After a short period of tension, Trendafilova continued her meeting with civil society representatives, journalists and university students.

- Kosovo Special Chambers and Special Prosecutor's Office

The special court and its special prosecutor's office, also known as Kosovo Special Chambers and Special Prosecutor's Office, were established in 2011 at The Hague but operate under Kosovo law.

It was established to investigate and prosecute war crimes allegedly committed in Kosovo between 1998 and 2000 and consists of international judges and prosecutors.

The special prosecutor's office had invited dozens of former members of the KLA to testify since the beginning of 2019.

The first indictment against KLA commanders, former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi, who are on trial in detention at The Hague, was approved Oct. 26, 2020.

It was claimed that those mentioned in the indictment were responsible for the deaths of 100 people, while the suspects were accused of murder, exile and torture.
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