Albulena

Kosovo's Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu said on Monday that "for the first time, serious efforts are being made to deal with war crimes" after the Pristina authorities announced they are seeking 18 Serb suspects for arrest over the 1999 Recak/Racak massacre.

Kosovo's public reacted angrily on Sunday after the Minister of Local Government, Elbert Krasniqi, reported that a bar in the western town of Gjakove/Djakovica had refused to serve a group of youngsters belonging to minority communities.

Pristina Basic Court of Pristina handed down its first-ever conviction for wartime sexual violence, sentencing former Serb policeman Zoran Vukotic to ten years in prison - a verdict that was hailed as a landmark by campaigners.

Vukotic was convicted of committing rape and participating in the expulsions of ethnic Albanian civilians from the town of Vushtrri/Vucitrn on May 22, 1999.

Kosovo's state prosecution on Thursday pledged that a ruling on a criminal investigation into three people will be taken soon - hours after BIRN aired a TV investigation showing the payment of an alleged bribe of 5,000 euros to a prosecutor in Prizren to close a criminal investigation.

A man in Pristina votes at a polling station in the early parliamentary elections on October 6, 2019. Photo: EPA-EFE/GEORGI LICOVSKI

The decision came hours after the Constitutional Court ruled that Avdullah Hoti's current coalition government was illegitimate because it was voted into office with the help of an invalid vote cast by an MP with a criminal conviction.

Kosovo's Special Prosecution filed an indictment on Friday charging Zoran Vukotic with committing rape and participating in the expulsions of ethnic Albanian civilians from the town of Vushtrri/Vucitrn.

Kosovo's Forensic Agency did not conduct a thorough forensic examination, so the Swiss institute that then conducted a separate autopsy had little evidence to work on, the lawyer for the family of the late Astrit Dehari said in an interview for Kosovo's T7 network.

A street protest joined by opposition party supporters in Pristina on Wednesday demanded the resignation of the Chief Prosecutor, Aleksander Lumezi, over claims that he was undermining the fight against corruption.

They received between 14 and 18 months in jail for repeatedly releasing tear gas in the Assembly hall, but will not go to jail unless they re-offend over the next two years.

Albin Kurti, Albulena Haxhiu, Donika Kadaj-Bujupi and Faton Topali were found guilty and sentenced to 18, 15, 18, and 14 months respectively.

Pristina Basic Court on Wednesday found four MPs from Kosovo's main opposition Vetevendosje party - Albin Kurti, Donika Kadaj-Bujupi, Albulena Haxhiu and Faton Topalli - guilty of letting off tear gas in parliament on 2015.

None will go to jail as all of them received conditional sentences.