Anger erupts in Pristina after Kosovo parliament stalls bid to curb powers of Hague court
Police used tear gas and water cannon as hundreds of protesters demanded limits on the Hague-based court after recent war crimes convictions.
- On Monday, protesters clashed with police in Pristina, blocking government exits after parliament failed to advance legislation aimed at restricting the powers of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.
- Tensions stem from a Hague-based court sentencing former President Hashim Thaci and three others to 81 years in prison for war crimes committed during the 1998-99 conflict with Serbia.
- Demonstrators want to cap prison sentences at 15 years and allow appeals to the Supreme Court; at least 17 people were injured, including six police officers.
- Prime Minister Albin Kurti opposed the bill, telling parliament the amendments were "rushed and insufficiently analysed," while the Democratic Party of Kosovo sponsored the legislation.
- The protests add pressure to a political crisis involving a deadlock of over 19 months, which has blocked the election of a president and triggered two early elections in Kosovo.
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87 Articles
Kosovo Protesters Against Hague Court Gather Again After Clashes
After violent clashes on Monday night, protesters started to reassemble in Pristina to demand legal changes to curb the powers of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers war crimes court following convictions of guerrilla leaders.
Clashes erupted between protesters and police in Kosovo over a proposed legal amendment that would limit the powers of the Hague-based war crimes tribunal. At least 17 people were injured and three protesters were detained in the incidents that took place in front of parliament and government buildings in Pristina.
Several people were injured in clashes between police and protesters in Pristina. Protesters are demanding changes to the law that would limit the powers of the special war crimes court in Kosovo. They are due to be voted on again by parliament, as the constitutional deadline for electing a new president expires.
The protesters did not want to release the representatives from parliament until they voted on amendments to the law restricting the powers of the International Criminal Court.
THE PROTEST in Pristina is the latest in a series of gatherings that have rocked the small Balkan country for weeks.
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