Page 46 - bne_newspaper_February_02_2018

46 I Southeast Europe bne February 2018
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Thaci has said he will sign the docu- ment that will abolish the previous law on establishing the court, saying that “the initiative of the deputies should be understood as an alternative and not as a challenge to justice or an attempt to escape from justice.”
The opposition Vetevendosje party has also said it will vote for the court to be abolished.
Other politicians, meanwhile, say the court will become operational as there is no force to stop it. They include PDK leader and parliament speaker Kadri Veseli, who wrote a column in Gazeta Express saying
their initiative to abolish the court, the EU and US reacted strongly, saying that such a move will be harmful for Kosovo’s future.
The US ambassador in Kosovo, Greg Delawie, warned that such a move will have extremely negative implications and Kosovo will stay isolated.
“This will be seen as a stab in the back to the United States,” Delawie said.
Ambassadors from other foreign coun- tries also strongly condemned the move and warned of serious consequences for Pristina.
“The court will prosecute alleged war crimes committed by members of the former Kosovo Liberation Army”
that the Special Court is “clearly detri- mental to Kosovo”, but it will go ahead, as Kosovo has no power to stop it.
Veseli added that there are hundreds of arguments that speak against the court. “It is injustice that is being done in the name of justice!” he wrote.
After Kosovan lawmakers launched
Trendafilova said in November that
the Kosovan special war crimes court
is ready to proceed with its first indict- ments, but she did not specify when the first indictments would be filed.
”There is no immunity for anyone regardless of their position, and amnesty also cannot apply,” Trendafilova said
at the time.
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