Police used tear gas and water cannon as protesters fired fireworks and threw objects during clashes outside Kosovo’s parliament in Pristina on Monday. Riot officers moved forward behind shields as fires burned in the streets, and several people were detained.
The unrest followed parliament’s first reading of amendments aimed at limiting the powers of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. The court recently convicted four former Kosovo Liberation Army commanders of war crimes committed during the 1998-99 conflict. The proposed changes would cap prison sentences at 15 years, allow appeals to Kosovo’s Supreme Court and let convicted people serve their sentences in Kosovo.
Tensions escalated after demonstrators blocked the exits of parliament and government buildings to prevent lawmakers from leaving. The proposed amendments still need a second reading and final approval.