New Kosova Report

Albin Kurti arrested once again

Thursday, 31 January 2008

Albin Kurti

At around 11:30 today the leader of the Self-Determination movement (VETËVENDOSJE!) Albin Kurti got arrested again. Kurti was arrested by the Kosovo Police Service with an arrest order issued by the international judge Maurizio Salustro.

During a press conference yesterday, Kurti stated several reasons explaining why he would not participate in court in the trial against him. Kurti declared that “the accusations against him are politically motivated and not based on a juridical level”. He also claimed that “UNMIK with control over international and domestic police forces were the ones responsible for the violence during the demonstrations on 10 February last year” which left two demonstrators, Arben Xheladini and Mon Balaj dead after being shot by the Romanian riot police unit. Kurti claimed that “the people exercised their natural and political right to express their political thoughts” and that “this right was denied by UNMIK”. He also declared that he “didn’t recognize the court”.

The trial against Albin Kurti has been met by massive criticism of the juridical system and the handling of the issue by local politicians and UNMIK. After the death shootings by the Romanian UN-police, Amnesty International and several other human right organizations issued harsh criticism against UNMIK for not investigating the deaths. Only days later, the Romanian police contingent left Kosovo; UNMIK claimed it was “impossible” to start a judicial process against the policemen.

Instead, Albin Kurti was arrested. Even though he refused a lawyer, he was assigned a defence led by Fazli Balaj, a man who only days after the demonstrations openly criticized the Self-Determination movement and Albin Kurti for the organization of the demonstrations.

The trial against Albin Kurti continued later today.

For New Kosova Report – Salih Shala

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BS said:

	Latest Amnesty reoprt concerning failure of justice in Kosovo. Readers may be interested to see the latest full Amnesty report just released criticising UNMIK's implementation of justice in Kosovo. It is available for download at http://www.freealbinkurti.org/page29.html along with considerably more information about this case.
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