Police clash with Kosovo protesters over bid to curb Hague war crimes court

What the report says

Police in Kosovo clashed with protesters outside parliament in Pristina after lawmakers failed to complete a vote on proposed changes to limit the powers of the Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers, a war crimes court created in 2015. Al Jazeera reported that the confrontation erupted on Monday evening after parliament adjourned without a second reading on amendments that would cap prison terms at 15 years, allow sentences to be served in Kosovo and give the Supreme Court a role in appeals.

Several hundred people gathered outside the building, including supporters and veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army, the ethnic Albanian force that fought Serbian troops during the 1998-2000 conflict. Riot police used tear gas and water cannons, while some protesters threw flares and firecrackers and tried to stop lawmakers from leaving. An emergency hospital director told AFP that 12 people were injured, including 11 civilians.

The dispute comes after the September 16 convictions of former President Hashim Thaci and three other former KLA commanders, which triggered weeks of protests and a parliamentary condemnation. The court is widely viewed in Kosovo as politically sensitive because it was set up under Western pressure and based in The Hague partly to protect witnesses. Al Jazeera also noted that the issue is tied to a wider political struggle over electing a president, with a constitutional deadline approaching that could force new elections if lawmakers fail to agree.