US says Kosovo war crimes trial at mercy of Russia after parliament vote

nga **Agim Gashi** Mon Jun 29, 2015 5:49 pm

US says Kosovo war crimes trial at mercy of Russia after parliament vote

Kosovo Albanians wearing traditional hats take part in a protest in Pristina on June 17, 2015, against the creation of a new EU-backed court that will try former Kosovo guerrilla fighters suspected of war crimes allegedly committed during and after the 1998-99 conflict.

ARMEND NIMANI/AFP/Getty Images

PRISTINA, Kosovo – The United States says it won’t block Russia’s attempts to establish a U.N. tribunal to investigate allegations that Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian wartime leaders killed hundreds of Serbs civilians. The country’s lawmakers rejected amendments to the constitution to allow a Western-backed court deal with the claims.
The U.S. Embassy in Kosovo said in a statement on Saturday it was “deeply disappointed” by Friday’s vote.
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A 2010 Council of Europe report claimed former rebel leader turned politician Hashim Thaci and other Kosovo guerrillas ran a criminal ring in 1999 and that some victims were allegedly killed for their organs to be sold on the black market.
The 120-seat legislature voted 75-7 on Friday in favour of the amendments, but failed to secure a two-thirds majority to approve the changes.

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