EU Charges Kosovo Rebels With War Crimes

(Vatican Radio) The European Union's justice mission in Kosovo has charged 15 former Kosovo rebel fighters of killing civilians and other alleged war crimes during the armed conflict in 1998 and 1999 with Serbian forces.
In a statement the EU's Rule of Law mission in Kosovo, Eulex, said the "charges related to crimes" allegedly committed at a detention center run by rebels of the Kosovo Liberation Army, or KLA, in 1998 It said the 15 defendants are "charged with criminal offences, including war crimes against the civilian population, such as torture, mistreatment of prisoners, and murder."
The EU prosecutes war crimes seen as too sensitive for local courts in Kosovo where ethnic tensions remain high.

The identities of the defendants were not revealed, but local media said that they include former KLA commander Sylejman Selimi, who is now Kosovo's ambassador to Albania, and Sami Lushtaku, mayor of the northern town of Srbica and a top official in Prime Minister Hashim Thaci's ruling party. Their lawyers have denied their clients were involved in war crimes.
The detention center where the crimes allegedly occurred was based in the northwestern Drenica region, the wartime stronghold of the predominantly ethnic Albanian fighters who were seeking independence for Kosovo from Serbia.
The incidents happened during their battle against forces of then Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, who himself was prosecuted for war crimes but died before a conviction.
More than 10,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands of people were driven from their homes during the war, prompting the NATO military alliance to intervene.
Kosovo eventually declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move was opposed by Belgrade.

The international community is divided over recognition of the former Serbian province.


Listen to Stefan Bos’ report: