Kosovo police clashed with veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) who gathered outside the Pristina hotel where the president of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Ekaterina Trendafilova, was accommodated.
Members of the left-wing Social Democratic Party of Kosovo (PSD) attempted to break into the Sirius Hotel in Pristina, where Trendafilova was hosting NGO representatives.
At the protest, KLA veterans voiced their rejection of the war crime court. The demonstrators expressed concern about the lack of transparency at the trial, emphasising closed court sessions and lack of information on sources of evidence.
Using smoke bombs and pyrotechnic devices, the veterans clashed with police, resulting in police deploying tear gas, local media reported. The clash led to the detention of several PSD activists, exacerbating tensions in Pristina.
As the situation intensified, journalists reporting on the protest were caught in the crossfire. Tear gas used by the police caused breathing troubles for some reporters on the scene.
The Kosovo Association of Journalists expressed deep concern about the police action, condemning the use of force against journalists and calling for respect for their professional duties.
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers & Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, operating under the jurisdiction of Kosovo, was established in 2015 in The Hague to investigate and prosecute war crimes committed by former KLA members fighting for independence from Serbia during the 1998-99 conflict.
