Former diplomats call for Kosovo to raise the issue of the Special Court at the UN forum

Kosovo’s presence at the UN General Assembly meetings in New York provides an opportunity to raise a voice on the sentences handed down against former KLA leaders by the Specialist Chambers, according to former diplomatic representatives.

According to former diplomat Alma Lama, the meetings Prime Minister Albin Kurti held during his stay in New York have their value, but she stresses that the issue of the Special Court requires a higher-level engagement with the United States and the European Union.

During his visit, Prime Minister Kurti held a series of bilateral talks, including meetings with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas, and American lawmakers from the Senate and the Congress.

Official government statements indicate that Kurti expressed his concern over what he described as harsh and unjust sentences against former KLA leaders in the first-instance decision of the Specialist Chambers, questioning the full transparency of the judicial process.

Lama considers it positive that the prime minister included the fate of former KLA leaders in the talks in New York, but says that the appropriate address should be the Trump administration.

“It is positive that Mr. Kurti has understood the importance of diplomatic engagement, however I have the impression that, just like previous executives, these meetings serve more the public perception in Kosovo than the strengthening of long-term cooperation with those states and their representatives. Regarding the Special Court, I think the objective should have been a meeting with senior officials of the American government, something we have not yet seen. We have seen contacts with lawmakers, which is welcome, but not with executive representatives of the administration. Congressmen have their importance, but their positions can change. The other objective should have been the European Union, since the Special Court was established under its authority. To be realistic, at this stage there is not much room for maneuver, because the process is awaiting the appeal stage and cannot be diverted. The Kosovo government must support the process from within, by helping to secure the best legal representation, so that the final decision is more favorable to the Republic of Kosovo,” Lama declared.

On the other hand, former diplomat Albert Prenkaj stressed the need for a continuous diplomatic effort to address this issue.

Prenkaj stated that the Kosovar delegation in New York should have raised this topic in meetings with international representatives, but questioned whether this was done with the appropriate intensity.

He insists that this issue should not be closed and that Kosovo’s diplomatic network should be used to convey its position across the most influential capitals in the world.

“This judicial mechanism, approved by the Kosovo Assembly in coordination with international partners, must take a clearly defined form and be legally connected to Kosovo. It cannot remain an untouchable island, seemingly destined to harm the country… I hope our delegation in New York raised this concern and sought proper addressing of it. However, I have my doubts… Usually, heads of state treat this at an informational level during meetings. But I believe efforts must continue. The door must be kept open and cooperation must continue uninterrupted. We have a diplomatic network in important global centers, which must be activated to spread Kosovo’s message. The message of those dissatisfied citizens waiting in the streets for the political elite to raise this issue,” he said.

On September 16, the Special Court found former KLA leaders Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi guilty of war crimes, sentencing them to a total of 81 years in prison.