Serb war crimes trial of Kosovo Albanian adjourned after opening News
Serb war crimes trial of Kosovo Albanian adjourned after opening

[JURIST] A Kosovo Albanian rebel indicted on war crimes charges was put on trial Wednesday before a special Serbian court, but the trial adjourned immediately after opening. Anton Lekaj, a former member of the Kosovo Liberation Army [BBC backgrounder], is the first ethnic Albanian to go on trial before the Serbian tribunal. Lekaj has been indicted for his alleged connection to the abduction and murder of a group of Kosovo gypsies and, if convicted, can face up to 20 years in prison. The trial's adjournment followed Lekaj's refusal to recognize the Serbian court and its prosecutor and his request to be put in front of UN-run courts in Kosovo, which was formerly a functional part of Serbia, but is now under UN administration [UN mission in Kosovo website]. The proceedings will continue once Lekaj's requests are reviewed by the Serbian Supreme Court. AP has more.

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