Kosovo's government urges parliament to set up war crimes court
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 31 July 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kosovo's government urges parliament to set up war crimes court, 31 July 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/55ee96424.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Comments | All reference to Kosovo should be understood in full compliance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244. |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
July 31, 2015
Kosovo's government on July 31 asked the parliament in Pristina to reconsider its rejection of an ad hoc court to put ethnic Albanian former guerrilla fighters on trial for alleged war crimes – including organ harvesting.
The United States and the European Union, Kosovo's main diplomatic and financial supporters, have lobbied hard for Pristina to address war crimes accusations and were disappointed by parliament's rejection of the court in June.
Much of Kosovo's current political elite had been part of the now-disbanded Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) that fought for independence from Serbia during the 1990s.
For years, former UCK members have faced allegations that they removed organs from ethnic Serb captives who were then killed while their organs were sold on the black market.
Many ethnic Albanians in Kosovo see those allegations as an attempt to tarnish the reputation of the UCK, which fought a guerilla war in 1998 and 1999 against Serbia's repressive rule.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
