theguardian.com <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/24/kosovo-war-crimes-tribunal-arrests-former-kla-army-commander-salih-mustafa>
Ex-army leader is first suspect arrested by Kosovo war crimes tribunal 2-3 minutes _____ An international tribunal investigating war crimes committed during Kosovo’s 1998-99 independence war has arrested its first suspect, a former commander of separatist fighters. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, based in The Hague, said the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander Salih Mustafa was arrested based on a “warrant, transfer order and confirmed indictment issued by a pre-trial judge”. The court’s statement did not identify the charges on which he was indicted. The court said Mustafa would be transferred to its detention facilities in The Hague and “appear before the pre-trial judge without undue delay”. He is the first ethnic Albanian to be arrested by the tribunal on war crimes charges arising from the conflict. The KLA was made up of ethnic Albanian rebels who wanted Kosovo’s independence from Serbia. Mustafa oversaw fighters in the Llapi area, 20 miles (35km) north of the capital, Pristina. He later served as intelligence chief of the Kosovo Security Force, military troops created in 2009 as a transitional unit before becoming a regular army. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers and a companion prosecutors’ office was established five years ago to look into allegations that KLA members committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. Its prosecutors also have indicted <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/24/kosovo-president-hashim-thaci-indicted-on-war-crimes-charges> Kosovo’s president, <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/24/kosovo-president-hashim-thaci-indicted-on-war-crimes-charges> Hashim Thaçi <https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/24/kosovo-president-hashim-thaci-indicted-on-war-crimes-charges> , the former parliamentary speaker Kadri Veseli, and others with crimes that include murder, enforced disappearances, persecution and torture. Both men have denied committing any crimes. The 1998-99 war left more than 10,000 people dead, most of them ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. More than 1,600 people remain unaccounted for. The fighting ended after a 78-day Nato air bombardment of Serbian air defences, troops and infrastructure during which civilians were also killed. Kosovo, which is dominated by ethnic Albanians, declared independence from Serbia in 2008 <https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2008/feb/18/balkans.serbia> , a move recognised by many western nations but not Serbia or its allies Russia and China. • This article was amended on 25 September 2020 to add detail to a reference to the “78-day Nato air campaign against Serbian troops”. The bombing was not limited to troops. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SERBIAN NEWS NETWORK" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/senet/043001d69364%24012c4720%240384d560%24%40gmail.com.
