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Bulgaria Detains Kosovo's Ex-PM on War Crimes Charges

But UN wants ethnic Albanian leader freed

By the Associated Press

Posted Jun 24, 2009 6:05 AM CDT

(AP) – Bulgarian authorities have detained a former Kosovo prime minister on an international arrest warrant issued by Interpol at Serbia's request, reports the AP. Agim Ceku, PM between 2006 and 2008, is wanted for war crimes allegedly committed during the 1998-1999 war when he was military chief of the Kosovo Liberation Army, made up of ethnic Albanian guerrillas. His arrest comes despite repeated requests from UN that the charges be dropped.

A former Bulgarian foreign minister told reporters that Ceku was detained on his way to Bulgaria to lobby for NATO membership. "I am in constant contact and we exchange regular visits with Agim Ceku," said Solomon Pasi, who added that the warrant for Ceku's arrest was "politically outdated, reflecting realities from a decade ago."

Police say Agim Ceku, the prime minister of Kosovo between 2006 and 2008, was taken into custody at a border checkpoint while entering Bulgaria from Macedonia late Tuesday, June 23, 2009.
Police say Agim Ceku, the prime minister of Kosovo between 2006 and 2008, was taken into custody at a border checkpoint while entering Bulgaria from Macedonia late Tuesday, June 23, 2009.   (VISAR KRYEZIU)
Ceku, 59, is wanted for war crimes allegedly committed during the 1998-1999 war when he was military chief of the Kosovo Liberation Army, made up of ethnic Albanian guerrillas.
Ceku, 59, is wanted for war crimes allegedly committed during the 1998-1999 war when he was military chief of the Kosovo Liberation Army, made up of ethnic Albanian guerrillas.   (JACQUELINE LARMA)
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COMMENTS
Showing 1 of 1 comment
njgreen
Nov 1, 2009 10:49 AM CST
That the U.N. believes that there is a statute of limitations for war crimes shows how truly beneath contempt it is. By the way, Ceku's K.L.A. has been a known source of Al Qaeda recruits. Hopefully, some of them helped train the Taliban bombers who blew up the U.N. compound in Kabul last week.

Copyright 2012 Newser, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.

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