The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe passes a resolution on Kosovo

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on 25 January passed a resolution accusing Kosovo’s Prime Minister Hasim Thaci and his associates of war crimes and participation in an organised crime group. This has undermined the reliability of Kosovan politicians both at home and on the international forum.

The resolution was prepared on the basis of a report by Dick Marty, a Swiss senator. It contains charges against the leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK), including Hasim Thaci, who in 1998–1999 reportedly kidnapped, tortured and killed prisoners kept in camps in Albania. They are also accused of arms, drug and human organ trafficking. The resolution also accuses the international community, including the USA and the EU, of a lack of political will to conduct an investigation into this matter. In response to the PACE’s resolution, the European Union’s mission EULEX undertook an investigation and clean up of the charges in the report. However, investigations into this matter had already been conducted by the UN Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) and the Serbian public prosecution authorities and had not confirmed the suspicions regarding the Kosovan politicians.

The PACE resolution was passed at a bad moment for Kosovo and Prime Minister Thaci, immediately after parliamentary elections, which he had won. This may prevent him from forming a government again and will also significantly weaken Kosovo’s position in contacts with the Serbian government in the context of planned negotiations between the two countries. <MarSz>