Protesters clash with police in Pristina over proposed limits on war crimes court

In Pristina, crowds of demonstrators surrounded the government and parliamentary complexes, demanding that legislators pass a bill to restrict the authority of the Kosovo war crimes court in The Hague. Earlier that day, parliament approved the first reading of amendments to the Specialist Chambers law, which would limit prison terms to 15 years, allow appeals to the Kosovo Supreme Court, permit sentences to be served within Kosovo and give the president power to grant amnesty.

Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the protesters, resulting in at least 17 injuries, six of them police officers, and three arrests. The protest follows the recent conviction of former President Hashim Thaci and three others, who received a combined 81 years for war crimes. Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the amendment process rushed and insufficiently examined, and his party declined to support a second vote on the proposals put forward by the Democratic Party of Kosovo. The incident highlights deep public anger over the court’s rulings and growing political divisions in one of Europe’s poorest states.