EULEX takes over Kurti case

Kurti is the only real oppostion to the goverment and the international strucutres in Kosovo and is deemed dangerous because of this.

He is not responsible for the death of two protesters - it was the Romanians who where using illegal bullets that killed them.

Just an attempt to shut him up. I don't support some of his views, but he has a right to speak.

This is just a continuation of the persecution of one of the most courageous members of the Albanian community in Kosovo, who has stood against the abuse of human rights for many years. I met Albin Kurti on several occasions, having first supported his release from Serbian jails after the war. He is a man of great intellect and moral courage. I would like to offer one of his own quotes - "We should not concentrate on what divides us, but what we have in common, that we are all members human beings". Responsibilty for the deaths that occured in the demonstration on 10th February 2007 was solely UNMIK's and the Romanian UN riot police who opened fire without adequate provacation, with illegal ordnance and contrary to their own rules of engagement. It is those officers and the head of the UNMIK police at the time, who should be on trial, together with those who bend the rules of access to justice, by attempting to bribe the victims' families in an effort to persudae them to drop their case for justice.

The charges against Kurti are not "obstructing justice and promoting violence", but participating in a crowd committing a criminal offence and preventing official persons performing their duties + "call to resistance" on 10 February 2007. Since mentioning the people killed and injured your article should have made it clear that they were victims of UNMIK police(something admitted even by UNMIK itself), not Kurti or Vetevendosje.

Here we go with the "blame everyone else game". When are albanians going to take responsibility for their actions? Albanians attack someone who defends him or helself and then they are the bad guys for defending themselves agains agressive albanians. I wonder when albanians will run out of excuses!

Why is a EULEX judge presiding over a sovereign nation's domestic trial? What is the statute of limitations regarding the only evidence of so-called violence where Albin throws a small stick at no one? How can there be a fair trial after all judges in Kosovo refused to take the case and the police "statements" were retracted?
Alice James

I agree with Nikshala that Kurti is the only true opposition in Kosovo, which is actually a very sad fact.

The UN peacekeepers should not have killed people during a violent protest - it was obviously a mistake on their part. But at the same time there is such a crime as inciting a crowd to be violent; in direct action there is a thin line to tread between the right to protest and the right of the law to react.

But ultimately they should not want to shut Kurti up because he obviously represents the opinions of a fairly large group, and better to work with him than against him.

I have to say that I admire his bravery for standing against the system - both internationally and domestically. That must take a lot of guts, and he does come across as being more intelligent and sincere than any of the other Kosovo politicians I've seen so far (apart from maybe the late Rugova).

"The ethnic Albanian Self-determination movement, which Kurti leads, criticized the EULEX decision to continue the trial, stating that it is a rigged political process."

Even ethnic Albanians do not trust Pristina and Eulex. Can anyone therefore blame K-Serbs for feeling likewise?

“The court process was stopped (in February 2007) because no lawyers wanted to defend Kurti,”

That is the biggest miscarriage of justice I have ever heard of and a complete lie. I could have him a lawyer by tomorrow. This is how Democracy in Kosovo works? How is that any better than under Milosevic?

Kurti is no peaceful Rugova, but at least his agenda doesn’t seem to be to kill and harass all the Serbs.

OK, his protest turned violent, there should be some punishment, but this? 3 years and not even a trial?

Now what about the 2004 riots? Those were actually serious, and were based on racism and hate with the goal of ethnic cleansing.

Kurti just wants the Albanians to run their own affairs, he may be a bit misguided at times, but he’s not some ex gangster or KLA terrorist with blood all over his hands.

# Kurti is the only real oppostion to the goverment and the international strucutres in Kosovo and is deemed dangerous because of this.

He is not responsible for the death of two protesters - it was the Romanians who where using illegal bullets that killed them.

Just an attempt to shut him up. I don't support some of his views, but he has a right to speak.
(nikshala, 25 January 2010 11:31)

nikshala, i agree with you. we've met him and interviewed him -- he's extremely bright and articulate (incl in english), and i believe the politicians there do fear him.
on the other hand, i don't always agree with him, and i fear he is sometimes too uncompromising. nevertheless, he should not be persecuted, and he's suffered enough under the milosevic regime. too much.

thanks. roberto/ frisco

I don't know if you are referring to me PS, but firstly Kurti has not to my knowledge called on the ethnic cleansing of all Serbs from Kosovo. I don't know where you got that idea from.

Secondly he is anti negotiations, probably he is the only one who really would keep to that position. If todays Kosovo Albanian leaders were told to deal with the Serbs by the internationals, they would attach conditions, but they would play ball.

No, I think respect is due for Kurti for his courage of conviction. That is why some Serbs and many Albanians respect him, even if they disagree with him. He is also liked from a Serbian perspective because he doesn't have blood on his hands.

Speaking for myself I am pro Kosovo. I try to be on the side of the people of Kosovo. I am not happy that the political leadership (Serb and Albanian) hasn't the moral courage to tackle real everyday problems that people living in Kosovo face.

Instead they persist in fighting old battles, going round in circles, lying to their people and behaving as if their people are not old enough to be told the truth.

Mature or not, the truth should be told, that is another part of Kurti that must be respected, even if his truth is not the complete truth in my opinion.

I would like to sit down with him to persuade him to discuss his position on non negotiating, I'm sure he would give me an honest argument, but thats another story.

In the end if he manages to stay alive, the longer Kurti stays in prison the better chance he has to be a leader in the future of Kosovo politics.

Time is on his side. The problem for people in Kosovo is that things will probably have to get worse before they get better. And god only knows how many times different elites will try to buy Kurti / threaten him in the meantime.

It is ironic to see such strong "pro-Serb" posters singing praise on a person who believes that there should not be any negotiating with Serbia and that any remaining Serbs should be forced out of Kosovo.
Could it be that these same posters are in reality anti-Albanian and not pro-Serb at all.
Which has been my thoughts from day one, interest is not in the betterment of Serbian lives in Kosovo but in the detriment of Albanian lives in Kosovo.

Long live Albin Kurti!

Albin has a large following domestically and amongst Albanians living in the diaspora. They will not stand any injustice brought upon him!

Taking part in the actions of a mob and not pulling out before it turns violent means legally that the participant acts in accord with the violent elements, even the sheer presence can represent encouragement, legally it is called psychic abetment which is punishable by law. Even more serious is the role of the leader of the mob, which is also sanctioned severely by law.

Now I guess everything is clear.
(Hruz, 25 January 2010 15:25)

Hruz, say someone leads a mob protesting Apartheid in South Africa and the protest turns violent, or Jews lead a violent protest in the Warsaw Ghetto? How does that square with your interpretation?

Alice James

You should read some law books or even earlier articles of B92 would do if you want details, relating to Kosovo's status and the role of internationals, although common sense can answer most of your questions.

Taking part in the actions of a mob and not pulling out before it turns violent means legally that the participant acts in accord with the violent elements, even the sheer presence can represent encouragement, legally it is called psychic abetment which is punishable by law. Even more serious is the role of the leader of the mob, which is also sanctioned severely by law.

Now I guess everything is clear.

Albin Kurti does not have a large following. His protests in size are in the hundreds on a great day. He is no leader, just an attention-seeking individual who has not fought and he offers no solutions but only attempts to bring pessimistic views to problems.

He is Kosova's Joseph McCarthy trying to bring fear-mongoring and hatred towards our Kosovar minority.

All the commenters from the Serb Camp who are praising this individual, do you really want to rally behind an individual who publicly has stated that he wants to turn Vetevendosje! into an army to further "liberate Kosova" aka kill all individuals linked to parallel structures?

Zoti,

If I break your parent's shop with my friends (mob), I will be prosecuted, I know you agree.
(Hruz, 26 January 2010 10:55)

Hruz, I was just trying to point out that you were oversimplifying the situation. Things are not as black and white as you made them out to be. Even in a simple case like the one you presented, I think there could be exceptions for breaking the shop of someone collaborating with the occupying force. For every rule there's an exception.

In Kurti's eyes, and mine, UNMIK and subsequently EULEX have turned into an occupying force. They have outlived their usefulness, hence any resistance towards such force by any means necessary is fine in my book. The only thing that I wouldn't agree with is violence towards innocent civilians.

Zoti,

It is very strange to call EULEX and UNMIK an occupying force. Actually, Kosovo is dangling on EU taxpayers' breasts.

If these forces would not be here, the Kosovo project would be over, probably less than in 24 hours.

Very ironic that some Kosovo Albanians are turning against the very same people that gave them their freedom

More and more people in EU think the experiment should be over and Serbia invited back to take the lead again, thanks to the attitude shown in your posts.
(Hruz, 26 January 2010 17:48)

First of all I'm not a Kosovar Albanian. I was born and raised in Tirana, nor do I speak on behalf of any Albanian be they from Kosova or Albania.

I am thankful to NATO and most importantly the US for helping us liberate Kosova. Without their help there could have easily been thousands more dead and Albanians would be living in a police state today. There is no need to remind us of that. We know what we're dealing with here.

However having said that despite all the adversities the Albanians in Kosova have been through they kept their resolve and never gave up. Their numbers grew steadily while those of the Serbs dwindled and it was only a atter of time before independence would have become a reality.

The "Kosova project" has just begun and the voices of the likes of Kurti will only get stronger and louder. UNMIK and EULEX as I said have outlasted their usefulness.

CG its a little ironic that you tell me not to respect somebody for having the courage of their convictions and in the next sentence mention democracy.

No dbout you support EULEX in putting this man away because he is against their rule?

Too bad, if he rocks the concensus in Kosovo Albanian politics. Too bad that he doesn't have blood on his hands. Too bad that he hasn't sold out in order to get a position of power. And trust me the internationals would give him a bit of power in the kosovo government if he agreed to shut up - to the disdain of other politicians in Kosovo.

So he makes nationalistic statements, frankly concerning the Kosovo issue, who doesn't? I know you have. But he is also one of the biggest threats to corruption behind the scenes, and a threat to the mafia / clan system (Albanian posters correct me if I'm wrong but I think his support is not related to any clan).

If circumstances were different Kurti would be a different man. Its unlucky in a sense that he was born now and not during the 70's when opposition / dissidents to Tito came from every republic - they used to meet up in Belgrade or Zagreb. Some were nationalist, some were anarchist, some were leftist. But it allowed free exchange of ideas.

If he had had that exposure perhaps he wouldn't be so free and easy with nationalism.

You say a wolf in sheeps clothing but perhaps you have it the wrong way round. Nobody believes him to be a sheep. Hardly! You might have one or two human rights gourps that support him but the entire west, the entire Albanian political leadership and opposition and local authorities all against him.

From a anglo saxon perspective I am a leftist. But then anybody is a leftist compared to the US and British political system.

bganon

Oh,common, don`t come up with that neutral"Yeah you gotta give Kurti respect for what he believes in".
He is not a democrat activist ,he is an greater Albanian extremist and fascist in the truest sense that propagates violence against non-Albanians in order to force them out from Kosovo and openly stated his lust for territories of states like Macedonia and Greece.
Not that I think that Thaci and co are better,no,they are just smarter in keeping their mouths shut and continue quietly with their greater Albanian agenda.

Again we witness how Serbian leftists like bganon are fooled by the wolf in the sheeps cloth.
When they see a NGO activist they automatically think he is a good guy!
Not this time!

"Justice" will be served. EULEX are nothing more than a bunch of former communists on a power trip high.

Zoti,

You are fighting with shadows. It is not important what I think happened 60 years ago.

If I break your parent's shop with my friends (mob), I will be prosecuted, I know you agree.

Probably I cannot get away saying that looting is fine because it was O.K for jews in the Warsaw ghetto during the Nazi rule.

If you are in Rome do what the Romans do.

Zoti,

It is very strange to call EULEX and UNMIK an occupying force. Actually, Kosovo is dangling on EU taxpayers' breasts.

If these forces would not be here, the Kosovo project would be over, probably less than in 24 hours.

Very ironic that some Kosovo Albanians are turning against the very same people that gave them their freedom

More and more people in EU think the experiment should be over and Serbia invited back to take the lead again, thanks to the attitude shown in your posts.

Here we go with the "blame everyone else game". When are albanians going to take responsibility for their actions? Albanians attack someone who defends him or helself and then they are the bad guys for defending themselves agains agressive albanians. I wonder when albanians will run out of excuses!

# Kurti is the only real oppostion to the goverment and the international strucutres in Kosovo and is deemed dangerous because of this.

He is not responsible for the death of two protesters - it was the Romanians who where using illegal bullets that killed them.

Just an attempt to shut him up. I don't support some of his views, but he has a right to speak.
(nikshala, 25 January 2010 11:31)

nikshala, i agree with you. we've met him and interviewed him -- he's extremely bright and articulate (incl in english), and i believe the politicians there do fear him.
on the other hand, i don't always agree with him, and i fear he is sometimes too uncompromising. nevertheless, he should not be persecuted, and he's suffered enough under the milosevic regime. too much.

thanks. roberto/ frisco

"The ethnic Albanian Self-determination movement, which Kurti leads, criticized the EULEX decision to continue the trial, stating that it is a rigged political process."

Even ethnic Albanians do not trust Pristina and Eulex. Can anyone therefore blame K-Serbs for feeling likewise?

Albin Kurti does not have a large following. His protests in size are in the hundreds on a great day. He is no leader, just an attention-seeking individual who has not fought and he offers no solutions but only attempts to bring pessimistic views to problems.

He is Kosova's Joseph McCarthy trying to bring fear-mongoring and hatred towards our Kosovar minority.

All the commenters from the Serb Camp who are praising this individual, do you really want to rally behind an individual who publicly has stated that he wants to turn Vetevendosje! into an army to further "liberate Kosova" aka kill all individuals linked to parallel structures?

Why is a EULEX judge presiding over a sovereign nation's domestic trial? What is the statute of limitations regarding the only evidence of so-called violence where Albin throws a small stick at no one? How can there be a fair trial after all judges in Kosovo refused to take the case and the police "statements" were retracted?
Alice James

bganon

Oh,common, don`t come up with that neutral"Yeah you gotta give Kurti respect for what he believes in".
He is not a democrat activist ,he is an greater Albanian extremist and fascist in the truest sense that propagates violence against non-Albanians in order to force them out from Kosovo and openly stated his lust for territories of states like Macedonia and Greece.
Not that I think that Thaci and co are better,no,they are just smarter in keeping their mouths shut and continue quietly with their greater Albanian agenda.

Again we witness how Serbian leftists like bganon are fooled by the wolf in the sheeps cloth.
When they see a NGO activist they automatically think he is a good guy!
Not this time!

Alice James

You should read some law books or even earlier articles of B92 would do if you want details, relating to Kosovo's status and the role of internationals, although common sense can answer most of your questions.

Taking part in the actions of a mob and not pulling out before it turns violent means legally that the participant acts in accord with the violent elements, even the sheer presence can represent encouragement, legally it is called psychic abetment which is punishable by law. Even more serious is the role of the leader of the mob, which is also sanctioned severely by law.

Now I guess everything is clear.

It is ironic to see such strong "pro-Serb" posters singing praise on a person who believes that there should not be any negotiating with Serbia and that any remaining Serbs should be forced out of Kosovo.
Could it be that these same posters are in reality anti-Albanian and not pro-Serb at all.
Which has been my thoughts from day one, interest is not in the betterment of Serbian lives in Kosovo but in the detriment of Albanian lives in Kosovo.

Zoti,

It is very strange to call EULEX and UNMIK an occupying force. Actually, Kosovo is dangling on EU taxpayers' breasts.

If these forces would not be here, the Kosovo project would be over, probably less than in 24 hours.

Very ironic that some Kosovo Albanians are turning against the very same people that gave them their freedom

More and more people in EU think the experiment should be over and Serbia invited back to take the lead again, thanks to the attitude shown in your posts.

This is just a continuation of the persecution of one of the most courageous members of the Albanian community in Kosovo, who has stood against the abuse of human rights for many years. I met Albin Kurti on several occasions, having first supported his release from Serbian jails after the war. He is a man of great intellect and moral courage. I would like to offer one of his own quotes - "We should not concentrate on what divides us, but what we have in common, that we are all members human beings". Responsibilty for the deaths that occured in the demonstration on 10th February 2007 was solely UNMIK's and the Romanian UN riot police who opened fire without adequate provacation, with illegal ordnance and contrary to their own rules of engagement. It is those officers and the head of the UNMIK police at the time, who should be on trial, together with those who bend the rules of access to justice, by attempting to bribe the victims' families in an effort to persudae them to drop their case for justice.

Zoti,

You are fighting with shadows. It is not important what I think happened 60 years ago.

If I break your parent's shop with my friends (mob), I will be prosecuted, I know you agree.

Probably I cannot get away saying that looting is fine because it was O.K for jews in the Warsaw ghetto during the Nazi rule.

If you are in Rome do what the Romans do.

Long live Albin Kurti!

Albin has a large following domestically and amongst Albanians living in the diaspora. They will not stand any injustice brought upon him!

I don't know if you are referring to me PS, but firstly Kurti has not to my knowledge called on the ethnic cleansing of all Serbs from Kosovo. I don't know where you got that idea from.

Secondly he is anti negotiations, probably he is the only one who really would keep to that position. If todays Kosovo Albanian leaders were told to deal with the Serbs by the internationals, they would attach conditions, but they would play ball.

No, I think respect is due for Kurti for his courage of conviction. That is why some Serbs and many Albanians respect him, even if they disagree with him. He is also liked from a Serbian perspective because he doesn't have blood on his hands.

Speaking for myself I am pro Kosovo. I try to be on the side of the people of Kosovo. I am not happy that the political leadership (Serb and Albanian) hasn't the moral courage to tackle real everyday problems that people living in Kosovo face.

Instead they persist in fighting old battles, going round in circles, lying to their people and behaving as if their people are not old enough to be told the truth.

Mature or not, the truth should be told, that is another part of Kurti that must be respected, even if his truth is not the complete truth in my opinion.

I would like to sit down with him to persuade him to discuss his position on non negotiating, I'm sure he would give me an honest argument, but thats another story.

Kurti is the only real oppostion to the goverment and the international strucutres in Kosovo and is deemed dangerous because of this.

He is not responsible for the death of two protesters - it was the Romanians who where using illegal bullets that killed them.

Just an attempt to shut him up. I don't support some of his views, but he has a right to speak.

I agree with Nikshala that Kurti is the only true opposition in Kosovo, which is actually a very sad fact.

The UN peacekeepers should not have killed people during a violent protest - it was obviously a mistake on their part. But at the same time there is such a crime as inciting a crowd to be violent; in direct action there is a thin line to tread between the right to protest and the right of the law to react.

But ultimately they should not want to shut Kurti up because he obviously represents the opinions of a fairly large group, and better to work with him than against him.

I have to say that I admire his bravery for standing against the system - both internationally and domestically. That must take a lot of guts, and he does come across as being more intelligent and sincere than any of the other Kosovo politicians I've seen so far (apart from maybe the late Rugova).

In the end if he manages to stay alive, the longer Kurti stays in prison the better chance he has to be a leader in the future of Kosovo politics.

Time is on his side. The problem for people in Kosovo is that things will probably have to get worse before they get better. And god only knows how many times different elites will try to buy Kurti / threaten him in the meantime.

“The court process was stopped (in February 2007) because no lawyers wanted to defend Kurti,”

That is the biggest miscarriage of justice I have ever heard of and a complete lie. I could have him a lawyer by tomorrow. This is how Democracy in Kosovo works? How is that any better than under Milosevic?

Kurti is no peaceful Rugova, but at least his agenda doesn’t seem to be to kill and harass all the Serbs.

OK, his protest turned violent, there should be some punishment, but this? 3 years and not even a trial?

Now what about the 2004 riots? Those were actually serious, and were based on racism and hate with the goal of ethnic cleansing.

Kurti just wants the Albanians to run their own affairs, he may be a bit misguided at times, but he’s not some ex gangster or KLA terrorist with blood all over his hands.

"Justice" will be served. EULEX are nothing more than a bunch of former communists on a power trip high.

The charges against Kurti are not "obstructing justice and promoting violence", but participating in a crowd committing a criminal offence and preventing official persons performing their duties + "call to resistance" on 10 February 2007. Since mentioning the people killed and injured your article should have made it clear that they were victims of UNMIK police(something admitted even by UNMIK itself), not Kurti or Vetevendosje.

Taking part in the actions of a mob and not pulling out before it turns violent means legally that the participant acts in accord with the violent elements, even the sheer presence can represent encouragement, legally it is called psychic abetment which is punishable by law. Even more serious is the role of the leader of the mob, which is also sanctioned severely by law.

Now I guess everything is clear.
(Hruz, 25 January 2010 15:25)

Hruz, say someone leads a mob protesting Apartheid in South Africa and the protest turns violent, or Jews lead a violent protest in the Warsaw Ghetto? How does that square with your interpretation?

Zoti,

It is very strange to call EULEX and UNMIK an occupying force. Actually, Kosovo is dangling on EU taxpayers' breasts.

If these forces would not be here, the Kosovo project would be over, probably less than in 24 hours.

Very ironic that some Kosovo Albanians are turning against the very same people that gave them their freedom

More and more people in EU think the experiment should be over and Serbia invited back to take the lead again, thanks to the attitude shown in your posts.
(Hruz, 26 January 2010 17:48)

First of all I'm not a Kosovar Albanian. I was born and raised in Tirana, nor do I speak on behalf of any Albanian be they from Kosova or Albania.

I am thankful to NATO and most importantly the US for helping us liberate Kosova. Without their help there could have easily been thousands more dead and Albanians would be living in a police state today. There is no need to remind us of that. We know what we're dealing with here.

However having said that despite all the adversities the Albanians in Kosova have been through they kept their resolve and never gave up. Their numbers grew steadily while those of the Serbs dwindled and it was only a atter of time before independence would have become a reality.

The "Kosova project" has just begun and the voices of the likes of Kurti will only get stronger and louder. UNMIK and EULEX as I said have outlasted their usefulness.

CG its a little ironic that you tell me not to respect somebody for having the courage of their convictions and in the next sentence mention democracy.

No dbout you support EULEX in putting this man away because he is against their rule?

Too bad, if he rocks the concensus in Kosovo Albanian politics. Too bad that he doesn't have blood on his hands. Too bad that he hasn't sold out in order to get a position of power. And trust me the internationals would give him a bit of power in the kosovo government if he agreed to shut up - to the disdain of other politicians in Kosovo.

So he makes nationalistic statements, frankly concerning the Kosovo issue, who doesn't? I know you have. But he is also one of the biggest threats to corruption behind the scenes, and a threat to the mafia / clan system (Albanian posters correct me if I'm wrong but I think his support is not related to any clan).

If circumstances were different Kurti would be a different man. Its unlucky in a sense that he was born now and not during the 70's when opposition / dissidents to Tito came from every republic - they used to meet up in Belgrade or Zagreb. Some were nationalist, some were anarchist, some were leftist. But it allowed free exchange of ideas.

If he had had that exposure perhaps he wouldn't be so free and easy with nationalism.

You say a wolf in sheeps clothing but perhaps you have it the wrong way round. Nobody believes him to be a sheep. Hardly! You might have one or two human rights gourps that support him but the entire west, the entire Albanian political leadership and opposition and local authorities all against him.

From a anglo saxon perspective I am a leftist. But then anybody is a leftist compared to the US and British political system.

Zoti,

If I break your parent's shop with my friends (mob), I will be prosecuted, I know you agree.
(Hruz, 26 January 2010 10:55)

Hruz, I was just trying to point out that you were oversimplifying the situation. Things are not as black and white as you made them out to be. Even in a simple case like the one you presented, I think there could be exceptions for breaking the shop of someone collaborating with the occupying force. For every rule there's an exception.

In Kurti's eyes, and mine, UNMIK and subsequently EULEX have turned into an occupying force. They have outlived their usefulness, hence any resistance towards such force by any means necessary is fine in my book. The only thing that I wouldn't agree with is violence towards innocent civilians.