Latest news with #EuropeanUnion-facilitated
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kosovo ex-president Thaci visits father's tomb after Hague court bars him from attending funeral
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Hashim Thaci, a former president of Kosovo who is facing war crime charges, was temporarily released from custody at a court based in the Netherlands on Friday to visit the tomb of his father who died last weekend. Thaci, 56, wasn't allowed to attend Tuesday's funeral, which leaders and local politicians from Kosovo and neighboring Albania were present for. Kosovo Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu complained to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague that Thaci was barred from going. 'I was the last to come, dad,' Thaci wrote on the wreath he put at his father's tomb on Friday in the village of Buroje, 70 kilometers (44 miles) west of the capital, Pristina. He was accompanied by police officers from the Kosovo-based European Union Rule of Law mission, known as EULEX. Thaci was then taken to his house, where only close relatives could meet with him. It wasn't immediately clear when he would be returned to the custody of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers court in The Hague. His father, Haxhi Thaci, died on March 16 at age 87. Three days before his father's death, Hashim Thaci was allowed to visit his father for about three hours at a public hospital in Pristina accompanied by close family members. Thaci and other senior leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, or KLA, which waged Kosovo's 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia, have been in custody in The Hague since November 2020. They face charges including murder, torture and persecution during and after the war. The court and a linked prosecutor's office were created after a 2011 report by the Council of Europe, a human rights body, that included allegations that KLA fighters trafficked human organs taken from prisoners and killed Serbs and fellow ethnic Albanians. The organ harvesting allegations haven't been included in indictments issued by the court. Around 11,400 people who died in the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo were ethnic Albanians. A 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbian troops ended the fighting, but tensions between Kosovo and Serbia remain tense. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, a move Belgrade and its key allies Russia and China refuse to recognize. A European Union-facilitated dialogue on normalization of their ties, which started in 2011, has given scarce results.
The Hill
21-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Kosovo ex-president Thaci visits father's tomb after Hague court bars him from attending funeral
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Hashim Thaci, a former president of Kosovo who is facing war crime charges, was temporarily released from custody at a court based in the Netherlands on Friday to visit the tomb of his father who died last weekend. Thaci, 56, wasn't allowed to attend Tuesday's funeral, which leaders and local politicians from Kosovo and neighboring Albania were present for. Kosovo Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu complained to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague that Thaci was barred from going. 'I was the last to come, dad,' Thaci wrote on the wreath he put at his father's tomb on Friday in the village of Buroje, 70 kilometers (44 miles) west of the capital, Pristina. He was accompanied by police officers from the Kosovo-based European Union Rule of Law mission, known as EULEX. Thaci was then taken to his house, where only close relatives could meet with him. It wasn't immediately clear when he would be returned to the custody of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers court in The Hague. His father, Haxhi Thaci, died on March 16 at age 87. Three days before his father's death, Hashim Thaci was allowed to visit his father for about three hours at a public hospital in Pristina accompanied by close family members. Thaci and other senior leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, or KLA, which waged Kosovo's 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia, have been in custody in The Hague since November 2020. They face charges including murder, torture and persecution during and after the war. The court and a linked prosecutor's office were created after a 2011 report by the Council of Europe, a human rights body, that included allegations that KLA fighters trafficked human organs taken from prisoners and killed Serbs and fellow ethnic Albanians. The organ harvesting allegations haven't been included in indictments issued by the court. Around 11,400 people who died in the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo were ethnic Albanians. A 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbian troops ended the fighting, but tensions between Kosovo and Serbia remain tense. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, a move Belgrade and its key allies Russia and China refuse to recognize. A European Union-facilitated dialogue on normalization of their ties, which started in 2011, has given scarce results.
The Independent
21-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Kosovo ex-president Thaci visits father's tomb after Hague court bars him from attending funeral
Hashim Thaci, a former president of Kosovo who is facing war crime charges, was temporarily released from custody at a court based in the Netherlands on Friday to visit the tomb of his father who died last weekend. Thaci, 56, wasn't allowed to attend Tuesday's funeral, which leaders and local politicians from Kosovo and neighboring Albania were present for. Kosovo Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu complained to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague that Thaci was barred from going. 'I was the last to come, dad,' Thaci wrote on the wreath he put at his father's tomb on Friday in the village of Buroje, 70 kilometers (44 miles) west of the capital, Pristina. He was accompanied by police officers from the Kosovo-based European Union Rule of Law mission, known as EULEX. Thaci was then taken to his house, where only close relatives could meet with him. It wasn't immediately clear when he would be returned to the custody of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers court in The Hague. His father, Haxhi Thaci, died on March 16 at age 87. Three days before his father's death, Hashim Thaci was allowed to visit his father for about three hours at a public hospital in Pristina accompanied by close family members. Thaci and other senior leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, or KLA, which waged Kosovo's 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia, have been in custody in The Hague since November 2020. They face charges including murder, torture and persecution during and after the war. The court and a linked prosecutor's office were created after a 2011 report by the Council of Europe, a human rights body, that included allegations that KLA fighters trafficked human organs taken from prisoners and killed Serbs and fellow ethnic Albanians. The organ harvesting allegations haven't been included in indictments issued by the court. Around 11,400 people who died in the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo were ethnic Albanians. A 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbian troops ended the fighting, but tensions between Kosovo and Serbia remain tense. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, a move Belgrade and its key allies Russia and China refuse to recognize. A European Union-facilitated dialogue on normalization of their ties, which started in 2011, has given scarce results.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kosovo's war crime-charged ex-president briefly released to visit his ill father
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Hashim Thaci, the former president of Kosovo who is facing war crime charges, was briefly released from a European Union-backed court on Thursday to visit his ill father. Thaci was seen visiting his father for about three hours at the public hospital in Kosovo's capital Pristina accompanied by close family members, local media reported. Scores of cheering supporters who were waiting outside the hospital building were kept at bay by police officers of the European Union Rule of Law Mission, known as EULEX. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Thaci and other senior leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, or KLA, which waged Kosovo's 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia, have been in custody at the court of The Hague, Netherlands, since November 2020 where they face charges including murder, torture and persecution during and after the war. The court in The Hague and a linked prosecutor's office were created after a 2011 report by the Council of Europe, a human rights body, that included allegations that KLA fighters trafficked human organs taken from prisoners and killed Serbs and fellow ethnic Albanians. The organ harvesting allegations have not been included in indictments issued by the court. Some 11,400 people who died in the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo were ethnic Albanians. A 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbian troops ended the fighting, but tensions between Kosovo and Serbia remain tense. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008, a move Belgrade and its key allies Russia and China refuse to recognize. A European Union-facilitated dialogue on normalization of their ties, which started in 2011, has given scarce results.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
NATO chief assures Western Balkans of alliance support and urges flexibility in Kosovo, Serbia talks
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — In his first trip to the once-volatile Western Balkans, NATO's secretary general Tuesday underscored the alliance's 'steadfast commitment' to its security and urged Kosovo and Serbia to be flexible in their normalization talks. Mark Rutte came to Kosovo after his first stop in Bosnia a day earlier, which he reassured of the military alliance's 'unwavering' support for its territorial integrity after a series of Bosnian Serb separatist moves raised tensions nearly 30 years after the end of a bloody war. 'A secure Western Balkans region means more security across the whole Euro-Atlantic area,' said Rutte. He added: 'We must be clear eyed on what lies ahead. Decades of hard-won peace must not be jeopardized.' See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a decade since the end of the 1998-1999 war between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists that pushed Serbian forces out following a 78-day NATO air campaign. Serbia doesn't recognize Kosovo's independence. NATO leads the Kosovo Force, or KFOR, a peacekeeping mission of some 4,700 troops from 29 countries. It has increased its presence in Kosovo after tensions in the last two years. 'KFOR is fully postured to respond to any relevant security developments,' said Rutte. The normalization talks with Serbia are 'the only way to solve pending issues and secure a stable future,' according to the alliance's head. The European Union-facilitated Kosovo-Serbia normalization talks, which started in 2011, have yielded little result and they remain stalled. Both the EU and the United States have been urging both sides to implement agreements reached two years ago that include a commitment by Kosovo to establish an Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities. Serbia was also expected to deliver on the de facto recognition of Kosovo. Brussels has made it clear that normalization of their ties is indispensable for their integration into the bloc. 'To move this dialogue forward, both sides must show flexibility, make the necessary compromises, and focus on the long term gains,' said Rutte. 'Normalization brings greater stability, more investment opportunities, and also lasting security across the whole region for the benefit of all.' ___ Semini reported from Tirana, Albania.
