Kosovo office welcomes arrest of former KLA

BELGRADE The Serbian Government's Office for Kosovo and Metohija has welcomed the arrest of former commander of the so-called Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) Fatmir Limaj. The ethnic Albanian, who has since served as minister in the government in Pristina, was arrest by EULEX, and on suspicion that he had committed war crimes during the war in Kosovo. Kosovo office welcomes arrest of former KLA "We are demanding that all suspected of war crimes be brought to justice, and recalling that over 1,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians killed since 1999 to date are still waiting for justice to be served ,” the office said in a released published on Monday in Belgrade. "We are underscoring that perpetrators first have a name, and then nation, and we want justice delivered to all and for all," the statement stressed. The Office also voiced hope that the international community will have the power and capability to conduct a quick and impartial investigation in the Ljimaj case, and that all witnesses will be alive for the trial, as well as that they will not change their testimonies, and that material evidence would be protected. “We welcome EULEX's efforts aimed at establishing the rule of law in Kosovo and Metohija,” the release reads. Milovan Drecun, chairman of the Parliament Committee on Kosovo and Metohija, also reacted to the news on Monday, to say that the verdict against Fatmir Limaj, along with that against Ramush Haradinaj expected in The Hague on November 29, was "a big test". If this case also ends in an acquittal, it would turn out no one is guilty of the numerous crimes against Serbs, said Drecun. A EULEX judge at the Pristina District Court on Saturday ordered that Limaj and three of his former KLA comrades charged with war crimes in the village of Klecka in 1999, be kept in custody for one month. In July 1998, the ethnic Albanian KLA members kidnapped, shot and later burned 22 Serb civilians in the vicinity of Klecka. "It is interesting Limaj was arrested right now, because the verdict against Haradinaj (another former KLA commander) is expected soon and Limaj was part of the same criminal group," Drecun told the Frankfurt-based Serbian language daily Vesti in an interview. Limaj will also be tried for embezzlement, all at the initiative of EULEX and its Supreme Court, said Drecun. He noted there has been talk for months that Haradinaj will be acquitted by the Hague and that he will become the new prime minister of Kosovo, with the incumbent Hashim Thaci taking over the presidential office. "Haradinaj's people even tried to recruit influential Serbs to join a new government. However, I think that following the acquittal of (Croatian generals Ante) Gotovina and (Mladen) Markac, there has been some pressure by the public, even though it could have been greater, so the case against Hardinaj could turn out differently," said Drecun. Asked whether the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina would continue if Haradinaj became prime minister, Drecun said the talks were not tied to any one person and dealt with a strategic issue for Serbia which could not be swept under the carpet. He also believes Serbia must reexamine its relationship with the the Hague, which he called "a political court". Tanjug Vesti

Kosovo office welcomes arrest of former KLA

"We are demanding that all suspected of war crimes be brought to justice, and recalling that over 1,000 Serbs and other non-Albanians killed since 1999 to date are still waiting for justice to be served ,” the office said in a released published on Monday in Belgrade.

"We are underscoring that perpetrators first have a name, and then nation, and we want justice delivered to all and for all," the statement stressed.

The Office also voiced hope that the international community will have the power and capability to conduct a quick and impartial investigation in the Ljimaj case, and that all witnesses will be alive for the trial, as well as that they will not change their testimonies, and that material evidence would be protected.

“We welcome EULEX's efforts aimed at establishing the rule of law in Kosovo and Metohija,” the release reads.

Milovan Drecun, chairman of the Parliament Committee on Kosovo and Metohija, also reacted to the news on Monday, to say that the verdict against Fatmir Limaj, along with that against Ramush Haradinaj expected in The Hague on November 29, was "a big test".

If this case also ends in an acquittal, it would turn out no one is guilty of the numerous crimes against Serbs, said Drecun.

A EULEX judge at the Priština District Court on Saturday ordered that Limaj and three of his former KLA comrades charged with war crimes in the village of Klečka in 1999, be kept in custody for one month.

In July 1998, the ethnic Albanian KLA members kidnapped, shot and later burned 22 Serb civilians in the vicinity of Klečka.

"It is interesting Limaj was arrested right now, because the verdict against Haradinaj (another former KLA commander) is expected soon and Limaj was part of the same criminal group," Drecun told the Frankfurt-based Serbian language daily Vesti in an interview.

Limaj will also be tried for embezzlement, all at the initiative of EULEX and its Supreme Court, said Drecun.

He noted there has been talk for months that Haradinaj will be acquitted by the Hague and that he will become the new prime minister of Kosovo, with the incumbent Hashim Thaci taking over the presidential office.

"Haradinaj's people even tried to recruit influential Serbs to join a new government. However, I think that following the acquittal of (Croatian generals Ante) Gotovina and (Mladen) Markač, there has been some pressure by the public, even though it could have been greater, so the case against Hardinaj could turn out differently," said Drecun.

Asked whether the dialogue between Belgrade and Priština would continue if Haradinaj became prime minister, Drecun said the talks were not tied to any one person and dealt with a strategic issue for Serbia which could not be swept under the carpet.

He also believes Serbia must reexamine its relationship with the the Hague, which he called "a political court".