Clashes Erupt Outside Kosovo Parliament over War Crimes Court
All 91 lawmakers backed the measure, which would cap prison terms at 15 years and let convictions be appealed in Kosovo.
- On Monday, October 5, 2026, Kosovo's parliament approved a bill on first reading to restrict the jurisdiction of the Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers, with all 91 participating lawmakers backing the measure.
- Following last month's war crimes convictions of four former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders, the Democratic Party of Kosovo proposed the legislation, making support for electing a new president conditional on the bill's final passage.
- Provisions in the bill would cap prison sentences at 15 years, allow appeals to the Supreme Court, and narrow the court's jurisdiction to the period from July 1, 1999, through December 2000.
- Despite concerns, Prime Minister Albin Kurti backed the initiative, as his government needs the 22 votes held by the PDK to reach the 80-vote threshold required for tomorrow's presidential election.
- Legal experts and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have cautioned that judicial independence must be guaranteed, while lawmakers warn that parliamentary approval alone does not ensure the changes will take effect.
14 Articles
14 Articles
Clashes erupt outside Kosovo parliament over war crimes court
The hours-long stand-off escalated on Monday night as demonstrators decried the sentencing of Kosovo's former president, Hashim Thaci, who was last month sentenced to war crimes committed during the 1990s war for independence against Serbia. Thaci and three other senior guerrilla figures were handed hefty sentences after being found criminally responsible for murders, illegal arrests, torture and cruel treatment committed by Kosovo Liberation Ar…
Dnevni list Danas
Naslovi.netTonight in Pristina, special police forces used tear gas to suppress the participants of the rally in support of the senior leaders of the "Kosovo Liberation Army" (KLA) sentenced in The Hague to several years in prison for war crimes.
An ambulance has been seen near the Kosovo Parliament building, at a time when the situation outside the building has become tense after clashes between protesters and the Kosovo Police Special Unit. MPs inside the Parliament have reported that tear gas used outside the building has also penetrated the interior of the building. There continues to be an increased police presence around the Parliament, while the situation remains tense. Earlier, t…
Protesters, Police Clash As Vote On Kosovo War Crimes Court Stalls
Police fired tear gas at protesters outside Kosovo's parliament on the evening of October 5 as a dispute over proposed restrictions on a Hague-based war crimes court became entangled with a last-minute political standoff over electing the country's next president.
The several-hour protest in front of the Assembly of Kosovo in Pristina escalated tonight when demonstrators threw pyrotechnic devices, and the police responded with tear gas and a water cannon.
Tensions are rising in Pristina during demonstrations against the Hague court's conviction of former KLA commanders. Protesters threw fireworks at the Parliament and Prime Minister's office and set fire to garbage containers; police responded with tear gas and water cannons.
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