This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35327494
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Kosovo war crimes court to try KLA suspects in The Hague | Kosovo war crimes court to try KLA suspects in The Hague |
(35 minutes later) | |
A special court is being set up in the Hague to try war crimes committed during the 1999-2000 war in Kosovo, the Dutch government says. | |
It will try serious crimes committed by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) against ethnic minorities and political opponents, a statement said. | |
The court is set to begin operating later this year. | |
The conflict pitted ethnic Albanian rebels against Serbian forces. | |
Until 2008, Kosovo was a province of Serbia. Years of tensions turned into open conflict in 1998, when the Serbian government launched a crackdown. | |
It eventually withdrew its troops from Kosovo after a two-month campaign of air strikes by Nato. | |
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, although Serbia has never recognised this. | |
The Dutch statement admits that trying war crimes "is a sensitive issue in Kosovo". | |
"Possible suspects may be seen by sections of Kosovan society as freedom fighters, and witnesses may feel threatened in Kosovo," hence the reason for cases to be heard abroad. |