Kosovo Assembly to Reconsider Bill Limiting War Crimes Court
Kosovo's president has sent a controversial bill back to parliament for reconsideration after it was passed less than three weeks earlier. The legislation seeks to limit the jurisdiction of the Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers following convictions of former KLA leaders for war crimes. The move came after protests by KLA veterans and a request from the bill's sponsor, the Democratic Party of Kosovo.
Kosovo’s president, Justina Shiroka Pula, returned the amended Specialist Chambers measure to lawmakers on Thursday after the Democratic Party of Kosovo, which introduced it, asked for another review. The chamber had approved it less than three weeks earlier, following street demonstrations by former Kosovo Liberation Army fighters.
The bill followed convictions of four ex-KLA leaders for crimes including unlawful confinement, ill-treatment, torture and killing between April 1998 and June 1999. Hashim Thaci and Jakup Krasniqi received 25-year terms; Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi got 18 and 13 years. Appeals are being prepared. The EU, which funds most court operations, criticized the law as conflicting with Kosovo’s obligations.
The renewed parliamentary review may prolong uncertainty for victims, defendants and KLA veterans, while keeping the court’s legitimacy and Kosovo’s EU-related commitments in public debate. If lawmakers narrow the chamber’s reach, affected communities could see renewed tensions over how wartime conduct is judged; if they retreat, veterans’ groups may feel unheard. Either path may shape public trust in domestic institutions and international justice, especially among families of victims and former fighters.