Serbia arrests 10 Kosovo Albanians suspected of war crimes News
Serbia arrests 10 Kosovo Albanians suspected of war crimes

[JURIST] Ten ethnic Albanians were arrested in Serbia Friday for alleged crimes committed during the 1998-1999 Kosovo war [BBC backgrounder], according to Serb officials. The former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) [GlobalSecurity backgrounder] members, being held for questioning in Belgrade and Vranje, will likely be charged for their alleged roles in the kidnapping of 159 Serbs and the deaths of at least 51 [B92 reports]. Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said Serbia will seek UN assistance in apprehending three suspects still at large.

The KLA was the ethnic Albanian guerrilla force that opposed Slobodan Milosevic [JURIST news archive] during the war, which led to intervention by NATO forces and the bombing of Belgrade. Former Kosovo prime minister and KLA commander Ramush Haradinaj [ICTY materials, PDF; JURIST news archive] was acquitted of war crimes charges [JURIST report] by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) [official website] in April, although Kosovo Albanians have since been convicted of interfering with witnesses [JURIST report] during that trial and prosecutors are appealing.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emporer

On December 25, 800 A.D., Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in Rome, Italy. During his lifetime, Charlemagne united most of Western Europe for the first time since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. He is credited with spreading the rule of law throughout his dominions as well as starting the French and German monarchies.

President Andrew Johnson pardoned Confederates

On December 25, 1868, President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all who had been involved in "insurrection or rebellion" during the US Civil War.