Police clash with Kosovo protesters over bid to curb Hague war crimes court

Police have clashed with protesters outside Kosovo ’s Parliament over plans to limit the powers of a Hague-based war crimes court. The violence broke out on Monday evening after Parliament ended its session without passing the proposed changes, which concerned the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, a court dedicated to crimes committed during the Kosovo War from 1998 to 2000. Founded in 2015, the court is an independent part of Kosovo’s judicial system, based in The Hague and staffed internationally. Critics, however, have accused the court’s verdicts of being overly punitive. The amendments before Parliament would limit sentences to 15 years, allow sentences to be served in Kosovo and permit appeals to the country’s Supreme Court.