Kosovo special court issues lawyers’ list, no cases yet

PRISTINA, Kosovo – A court established to prosecute crimes committed during and immediately after Kosovo’s war for independence has issued the list of lawyers who will represent suspects, victims and others appearing before the tribunal.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers on Wednesday said the 40 lawyers included on its list would ensure “effective and professional legal representation” before the KSC.

The Hague, Netherlands-based court, created by a 2015 law passed after U.S. and European pressure, has jurisdiction in Kosovo over alleged war crimes suspects from the 1998-1999 war and its immediate aftermath.

Kosovo detached from Serbia following a three-month NATO air war in 1999 to stop a bloody Serbian crackdown against ethnic Albanian separatists. Kosovo’s 2008 independence is recognized by 117 states but not by Serbia.

The court has yet to hear any cases.