Trial Against Kurti Postponed Again

Pristina | 23 February 2010 | Petrit Collaku

Albin Kurti

Kosovo's police have not yet arrested the leader of Kosovo's popularist Vetevendosje or Self-determination movement, Albin Kurti in order to face trial.

The EU rule-of-law mission, EULEX judge Ferdinand Bouttier De Mongeau ordered police on Monday to arrest Kurti since he failed to attend a trial against him. Prior to the trial, Kurti said he would not attend as he does not recognise EULEX’s jurisdiction in Kosovo.

Police failed to find Kurti after searching his apartment. Vetevendosje activists did not let them check their offices, noting police did not possess such a mandate. The residing judge has set the trial for 2 March.

“The next hearing is on March 2nd and the reason is because of the absence of Kurti and also of a panel member because she is still sick,” Kristiina Herodes, justice spokesperson at EULEX told Balkan Insight.

Kurti faces charges of ''attempting to cause general danger and/or large-scale property damage, obstructing official persons in performing their duties, and inciting people to break a police cordon'' during a Vetevendosije protest in 2007.

The protest was against the Ahtisaari proposal plan for Kosovo's future in which two Vetevendosje activists were killed and dozens injured.

Instead, police arrested two Vetevendosje activists, Glauk Konjufca and Zgjim Hysenim based on a warrant arrest issued by Municipal Court of Pristina charging property damage.

Konjufca and Hyseni are accused of damaging more than 20 EULEX vehicles during a protest held last September. The protest was organised by Vetevendosje against a policing agreement between EULEX and Serbia.

A group of influential NGOs have called for the Kurti case to be dropped and some 80,000 signatures have been collected from people in a petition called ''Against the EULEX trial of Albin Kurti''.

Recently, Kurti said that the movement is considering whether to participate in the next national elections as a political party.