EU arrests former Kosovar guerrillas in war crimes probe
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 23 May 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, EU arrests former Kosovar guerrillas in war crimes probe, 23 May 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/51a47a3e3b.html [accessed 2 June 2023] |
| 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. |
May 23, 2013
Ethnic Albanians protested last year after the arrest of a former Kosovar guerrilla leader.
European Union police in Kosovo have arrested five people on suspicion of war crimes during the 1998-99 conflict in Kosovo.
The five were members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), the guerrilla group that fought the armed forces of former Serbian strongman Slobodan Milosevic during the conflict.
The EU rule and justice mission in Kosovo, EULEX, said they were investigated for war crimes against civilians held in a KLA detention center.
It did not identify the suspects.
Local media quoted a lawyer as saying Sami Lushtaku, a close wartime ally of Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, was among those arrested and would appear in court on May 24.
Lushtaku and Thaci were both senior KLA commanders, and Lushtaku is now a senior official in Thaci's Democratic Party of Kosovo.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
