Special Court is Kosovo's International Obligation, Says Prosecutor

Drita Hajdari told a debate in Pristina on Wednesday evening that Kosovo is obliged to back the new Specialist Chambers, set up in The Hague to prosecute former Kosovo Liberation Army fighters for wartime and post-war crimes.

"The issue of war crimes cannot be an isolated issue for Kosovo alone," Pristina-based prosecutor Hajdari said.

"Kosovo is part of the world so, when we speak about the Special Court, we cannot avoid [obligations from] international law," she added.

She said it was painful to hear people suggest that the existence of the Specialist Chambers, which is part of the Kosovo justice system but staffed by internationals, shows the failure of local courts and prosecutors.

"What hurts me are statements by some people claiming that the establishment of the Special Court represents the failure of the Kosovo prosecution and the Kosovo courts, labelling us as unprepared and lacking courage," she explained.

The debate on the controversial new court, organised by independent media organisation Kosovo 2.0, comes amid continued attempts by Kosovo MPs from the ruling coalition parties to revoke the law which allows the Specialist Chambers to operate.

The US and the EU have expressed strong concern about the attempt to undermine the court and warned that it could isolate Kosovo internationally.

Glauk Konjufca, the head of the opposition Vetevendosje (Self-Determination) party's parliamentary group, alleged that the attempt to stop the Specialist Chambers had been disguised as an initiative by MPs so senior Kosovo officials who used to be top Kosovo Liberation Army figures can escape prosecution.

"Vetevendosje refused to be part of revoking it [the law allowing the Specialist Chambers to operate] in such a...