Ex-KLA questioned, released

EULEX has released former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander Fatmir Limaj who was arrested last night for war crimes committed in the village of Klecka. EULEX should make an announcement regarding Limaj later today. Ex-KLA questioned, released Limaj, former Kosovo transport minister and current deputy leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) turned himself in to the EULEX police last night at his home in Caglavica near Pristina. He told reporters as he was leaving the house that he was "proud he took part in the war and in building Kosovo after the war." Limaj also said he would answer to judicial bodies even though he believed they were wrong. His arrest followed after yesterday's arrest of former KLA members in Prizren and other towns in Kosovo. After two-hour questioning the former KLA commander was released. According to the media, the judicial proceeding will continue in the next several days. “We have responded to the court subpoena and came to EULEX, Limaj said he would cooperate with the judiciary. He is going back home, to his family now,” Limaj’s attorney Tom Gashi stated. The former KLA commander had already been put on trial in the Hague Tribunal but he was acquitted. B92 has learned that even though Limaj had been acquitted by the Hague Tribunal, the domestic prosecution has a court permission to conduct an investigation into the Klecka camp and one more locality. Serbian War Crimes Prosecution has welcomed EULEX’s effort regarding investigation into the crimes committed against non-Albanians in Kosovo. Their latest operation is a result of a good cooperation between EULEX and Belgrade prosecutors who have been conducting the investigation into the events in the two KLA camps which were commanded by Limaj for three years now. Fatmir Limaj (FoNet, file) More arrests in Kosovo Some arrest were also made in Prizren region as a part of the investigation into the war crimes committed in Kosovo “EULEX police executive department has arrested eight persons in connection with the investigation into the war crimes. Some searches have also been conducted. Kosovo police special unit provided general security during the operation. One more person was arrested abroad,” EULEX Spokesman Nicholas Hawton stressed. “The arrest warrant was issued by EULEX pre-trial judge from the District Court in Pristina based on a well-grounded suspicion about murders, torture and other crimes against Kosovo Albanian and Serb civilians and war prisoners in a detention center in Kosovo in 1999. A EULEX prosecutor from the Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office is supervising the investigation,” he added. Among those arrested is Prizren regional police Commander Nexhmi Krasniqi, who has been remanded in one month in custody. Daily Blic writes, quoting unofficial information, that several arrested men are linked to investigations into anti-Serb violence that took place in March 2004. According to the daily, the persons suspected of burning down Bogorodica Ljeviska Church in Prizren were also suspected of crimes against Serbs in 1999.

Ex-KLA questioned, released

Limaj, former Kosovo transport minister and current deputy leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) turned himself in to the EULEX police last night at his home in Čaglavica near Priština.

He told reporters as he was leaving the house that he was "proud he took part in the war and in building Kosovo after the war."

Limaj also said he would answer to judicial bodies even though he believed they were wrong.

His arrest followed after yesterday's arrest of former KLA members in Prizren and other towns in Kosovo.

After two-hour questioning the former KLA commander was released. According to the media, the judicial proceeding will continue in the next several days.

“We have responded to the court subpoena and came to EULEX, Limaj said he would cooperate with the judiciary. He is going back home, to his family now,” Limaj’s attorney Tom Gashi stated.

The former KLA commander had already been put on trial in the Hague Tribunal but he was acquitted. B92 has learned that even though Limaj had been acquitted by the Hague Tribunal, the domestic prosecution has a court permission to conduct an investigation into the Klečka camp and one more locality.

Serbian War Crimes Prosecution has welcomed EULEX’s effort regarding investigation into the crimes committed against non-Albanians in Kosovo. Their latest operation is a result of a good cooperation between EULEX and Belgrade prosecutors who have been conducting the investigation into the events in the two KLA camps which were commanded by Limaj for three years now.

More arrests in Kosovo

Some arrest were also made in Prizren region as a part of the investigation into the war crimes committed in Kosovo

“EULEX police executive department has arrested eight persons in connection with the investigation into the war crimes. Some searches have also been conducted. Kosovo police special unit provided general security during the operation. One more person was arrested abroad,” EULEX Spokesman Nicholas Hawton stressed.

“The arrest warrant was issued by EULEX pre-trial judge from the District Court in Priština based on a well-grounded suspicion about murders, torture and other crimes against Kosovo Albanian and Serb civilians and war prisoners in a detention center in Kosovo in 1999. A EULEX prosecutor from the Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office is supervising the investigation,” he added.

Among those arrested is Prizren regional police Commander Nexhmi Krasniqi, who has been remanded in one month in custody.

Daily Blic writes, quoting unofficial information, that several arrested men are linked to investigations into anti-Serb violence that took place in March 2004.

According to the daily, the persons suspected of burning down Bogorodica Ljeviška Church in Prizren were also suspected of crimes against Serbs in 1999.