| Author (Corporate) | Cardiff EDC (Compiler) |
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| Publication Date | January 2016 - May 2018 |
| Content Type | News |
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Summary: The Dutch government consented in January 2016 to the European Union's request that the country hosts the Kosovo Relocated Specialist Judicial Institution (KRSJI). Further information: The special court was set up to try cases involving crimes committed during and in the immediate aftermath of the Kosovo War. This includes serious crimes allegedly committed in 1999-2000 by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) against ethnic minorities and political opponents. The court - made up of international judges - was established under Kosovan law. This means it is not an international tribunal, but a Kosovan national court that administers justice outside Kosovo. The sensitivity of the issue in the territory was the reason behind the option of hosting it elsewhere - possible suspects may be seen by sections of Kosovan society as freedom fighters, and witnesses may feel threatened in Kosovo. The court started its work in early 2017 and was scheduled to issue its first indictments the following year. In December 2017, a group of Kosovan lawmakers tried to suspend the law regulating the KRSJI - approved in 2015 - but did not gather enough votes in the Parliament. The attempt was condemned by international stakeholders. + Kosovo parliament approves special war crimes court, August 2015 In February 2017, media reports suggested Kosovan leaders had dropped his objections regarding this court, a decision which was welcomed by the international community. On 7 May 2018, the Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers examining war crimes against ethnic Serbs in Kosovo said that it has appointed a new chief prosecutor, US prosecutor Jack Smith, after the previous one stepped down on the 31st of March 2018. |
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| Subject Categories | Justice and Home Affairs |
| Countries / Regions | Kosovo |
