Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Kurti Found Guilty of Obstructing Official Persons – Other Charges Dropped

Albin Kurti was found guilty of obstructing official persons and sentenced to nine months but was immediately released for time already served (jail and house arrest following the February 2007 riots).  The other charges of participating in a crowd committing criminal acts and inciting violence were dropped.  Kurti acted as his own lawyer and told the court that he did not recognize them.  The panel of judges was made up of one local judge and two international EULEX judges.

TheVetevendosje political platform has started emerging following his announcement about running for the 2011 parliamentary elections which largely has been overshadowed by his arrest and accusations of police brutality by the KPS.  Vetevendosje appears to be running on a campaign of establishing what has been referred to as “Greater Albania” and the annulment of the Ahtisaari Package for Kosovo.

The activities of human traffickers in Kosovo has come under scrutiny again following a report by the US Department of State which termed Kosovo as a “center for human trafficking“.  The report focuses on women trafficked from Eastern Europe for prostitution and Roma children who are trafficked for begging.