Police clashed with protesters outside Kosovo’s Parliament on October 6, 2026, over plans to limit the powers of a Hague-based war crimes court. The violence erupted after Parliament ended its session without passing proposed changes related to the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which addresses crimes committed during the Kosovo War from 1998 to 2000. Founded in 2015, the court operates independently within Kosovo’s judicial system and is based in The Hague.
Critics have accused the court of issuing overly punitive verdicts. The proposed amendments would limit sentences to 15 years, allow sentences to be served in Kosovo, and permit appeals to Kosovo’s Supreme Court. These changes passed a first reading earlier on the same day, but Parliament adjourned before a second vote could occur.
Several hundred protesters, including supporters and veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), gathered outside the Parliament building in Pristina. Some attempted to block lawmakers from leaving after the session concluded. Police deployed tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowd, which included individuals throwing flares and firecrackers. Naser Syla, the emergency director at a hospital in Pristina, reported that 12 people were injured, including 11 civilians.
The proposed legislation follows the September 16 convictions of former President Hashim Thaci and three other former KLA commanders for war crimes. Thaci received a 25-year prison sentence, while his co-defendants received sentences ranging from 13 to 25 years. They have all denied the charges. The rulings led to weeks of protests and were condemned by Kosovo’s Parliament in late September.
The issue of reforming the court is also linked to the political struggle over Kosovo’s presidency. Kosovo’s Constitutional Court has mandated that the self-declared republic must elect a president by October 6, 2026. If lawmakers do not succeed, Parliament will be dissolved, leading to another early election. The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), the largest opposition party and sponsor of the bill, has tied its support for electing a president to the successful passage of the proposed changes. Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s governing Vetevendosje party prefers that the presidential vote occur first. Kurti supported allowing the bill to advance but stated that the changes had been rushed and suggested that the appeals process should be utilized to challenge the controversial September convictions.
The Specialist Chambers were established under pressure from Western allies to prosecute alleged crimes by KLA members and were located outside Kosovo due to concerns about political pressure and witness safety. The court remains a contentious issue in Kosovo, where many view the KLA as a liberating force against Serbian repression, which led to the self-declared republic's independence. The 1998-99 war resulted in approximately 13,000 deaths, predominantly among ethnic Albanians, and displaced about one million Kosovo Albanians. The conflict concluded following a 78-day NATO bombing campaign against Serbian forces. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, although Belgrade does not recognize its sovereignty.