Ex-Kosovo prime minister arrested for war crimes

Video footage about “Operation Storm”, broadcast by Belgrade TV station B92 in August 2006, of Bosnian troops killing a Serb civilian, and of Croatian troops harassing a convoy of Serb refugees.

From Associated Press:

Jun 24, 5:24 AM EDT

Former Kosovo prime minister arrested in Bulgaria on Interpol warrant

By VESELIN TOSHKOV
Associated Press Writer

Former Kosovo prime minister arrested in Bulgaria on Interpol warrant

SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgarian authorities have detained a former Kosovo prime minister on an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol at Serbia’s request.

Police say Agim Ceku, the prime minister of Kosovo between 2006 and 2008, was taken into custody at the Gyueshevo border checkpoint while entering Bulgaria from Macedonia late Tuesday.

Ceku, 59, is wanted for war crimes allegedly committed during the 1998-1999 war when he was military chief of the Kosovo Liberation Army, made up of ethnic Albanian guerrillas.

Ceku was also Croatian army commander in “Operation Storm“, when were there was “ethnic cleansing” of hundreds of thousands of Croatian Serbs.

As Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia, Kosovo Albanians lost their citizenship rights in Croatia, which they had as Yugoslavs. However, the nationalist authorities in the “new” Croatia made an exception for Ceku, whom they gave a high military rank.

Ceku’s arrest comes despite repeated requests from U.N. officials in Pristina that the Belgrade-issued arrest be disregarded.

Former Bulgarian Foreign Minister Solomon Pasi told reporters that Ceku was coming to Bulgaria at the invitation of the Atlantic Club, a non-governmental organization, to lobby for NATO membership.

The item about Pasi, also spelt Passy, in Wikipedia is not really critical.

“I am in constant contact and we exchange regular visits with Agim Ceku,” said Pasi, who is honorary president of the club.

…

The prosecutor’s office said Ceku will be held in custody in the western city of Kyustendil, where the district court will consider his case.

In Pristina, Kosovo authorities said they were trying to negotiate Ceku’s release.

“We are in contact with Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry officials as well as representatives here to arrange for Ceku’s swift release and we are hopeful that will be soon,” Albana Beqiri, the spokesperson for Kosovo’s Foreign Ministry told The Associated Press.

Interpol’s warrant was suspended when Ceku gained immunity after being named prime minister in 2006, but was renewed by Serbia after Ceku took part in a conference on the demobilization of guerrilla movements in Colombia, earlier this year.

Before that he was held overnight in prisons in Slovenia in 2003 and Hungary in 2004 after his name appeared on lists of wanted persons.

Kosovo proclaimed independence last year and was recognized by leading Western nations, including the United States and most of the European Union nations, including Bulgaria.

Most countries in the world, including Spain, Romania, most African states, etc., have not recognized Kosovo’s independence.

See also here.