Kosovo War Crimes Arrests Made

Mar 17, 2011, 12:04

There have been arrests made in the KOsovo war crimes investigation. Kosovo senior politician and former rebel leader Fatmir Limaj was one of 9 war crimes suspects arrested by European Union police Wednesday, according to a copy of the indictment obtained by the Associated Press.

Limaj, who served as a top commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army, was among 11 former rebels named in the indictment for allegedly executing and torturing Serb prisoners of war during the 1998-99 conflict. He is currently a member of Kosovo�s Parliament.

Kosovo television broadcasters showed video of Limaj on his way to court in the capital of Pristina late Wednesday, where he is expected to have been questioned by EU investigators.

"I am proud of my war time legacy and I have no regrets," Limaj told public broadcaster RTK.

Limaj is under investigation for allegedly ordering the execution of two Serb policemen captured by the Kosovo Albanian rebels in 1998. Limaj also allegedly tortured a Serb prisoner of war "by punching and kicking him while interrogating him," according to the indictment.

Written by EU prosecutor Maurizio Salustro, the indictment also gives the details of the three bodies that have been located and identified.

Limaj, who also served as transport minister in Kosovo's previous government, is also under investigation for corruption. He has previously been acquitted of war crimes charges involving Albanian detainees, in a case that was tried in the United Nations war crimes court in 2005.

A trial will take place in Kosovo, but no further details were immediately available about a date or location.