In a front-page interview, Alexander Borg Olivier, former head of the UNMIK Legal Office, says that Kosovo has no obligation to accept or to assist in the establishment of the special court for crimes allegedly committed by the Kosovo Liberation Army. Borg Olivier admits that the court is aimed exclusively against the KLA and that Kosovo institutions should not agree on its establishment, even if there is pressure from international friends. “The special court is directly and exclusively aimed against the Kosovo Liberation Army for alleged war crimes committed by Kosovars during the Kosovo conflict. Such a selective approach on war crimes that focuses only on alleged crimes committed by one side in the conflict is unprecedented,” Borg Olivier said.
Borg Olivier, who also served as advisor to Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, said Kosovo’s judicial system should address war crimes identified in investigations by U.S. prosecutor Clint Williamson. He also said that files could be put under the supervision and responsibility of EULEX. In another interview for Tribuna, Borg Olivier said Kosovo does not have to agree on something that will damage national interests. “The United Nations Security Council can decide to establish the court even without Kosovo’s consent according to Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, but this idea lacks support and it cannot be implemented,” Borg Olivier said.
