Who’s Who – Ekaterina Trendafilova: Respected Bulgarian judge, enemy number one of KLA veterans

Ekaterina Trendafilova has long been declared "enemy number one" by veterans of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which is why it came as no surprise that yesterday, in front of a hotel in Pristina, the President of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers was met with hostility.

Although her public address had been scheduled for Tuesday, it was canceled for security reasons and upon the advice of the Kosovo Police, after former KLA members ignited smoke bombs in front of the hotel where she was staying at the time.

EULEX and other international institutions did not issue any statements, and apart from the German Ambassador, Joern Rohde, there was little reaction from the international community to the incident.

“The conference scheduled for today could not be held due to protests by war veterans and other individuals, during which smoke bombs were used, with the intention of preventing the meeting. The Specialist Chambers respect the democratic right to peaceful protest, but regret the missed opportunity for the President of the Court to address journalists’ questions,” stated the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in their release yesterday.

Harsh Criticism from the Ombudsman

Kosovo's Ombudsman, Naim Qelaj, expressed concern during his meeting with President of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Ekaterina Trendafilova, regarding the functioning and standards of the Court—particularly due to its use of evidence obtained from Serbia. Qelaj questioned the credibility of such evidence, claiming that Serbia’s stance toward the KLA could influence the objectivity and reliability of the materials presented in court, according to a statement from his office.

Under Scrutiny by the U.S. Administration

It is no secret that Richard Grenell, one of former U.S. President Donald Trump's closest associates, has repeatedly criticized the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.

“The United States is known for promoting the rule of law, and I believe it will not be involved in anything falling under the work of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. The end of the Specialist Chambers—a project of the European Union and Kosovo—could come as a result of the EU Council’s announcement that the cases are completed and all investigations concluded,” Trendafilova commented on the matter, emphasizing that EU countries and other donors like the U.S., Norway, Switzerland, and Turkey have never interfered with the Court’s work.

“Indictments Target Individuals, Not the KLA”

In an interview with Kosovo Online, Trendafilova stated that the Court does not deal with organizations like the KLA, but with individuals.

“The Specialist Chambers are a court, and they deal exclusively with individual criminal responsibility. This court cannot establish the accountability of entire organizations such as the KLA or ethnic groups, for example. The fact is that the indictments confirmed before the Specialist Chambers have been raised against individuals, not against the KLA. It is also telling that the victims who have been approved to participate in proceedings come from all ethnic groups, including Albanians and Serbs,” she said.

A Respected Lawyer and Judge from Bulgaria

Dr. Ekaterina Trendafilova (born in 1953), a well-known Bulgarian lawyer, academic, and judge, was appointed President of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in December 2016 and assumed office on 12 January 2017. Her mandate was recently extended for another four years. She served as a judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC) from March 2006 to March 2015. During her tenure at the ICC, she served in the Pre-Trial Division (as Presiding Judge of Pre-Trial Chamber II and later as Presiding Judge of the entire Pre-Trial Division).

Before joining the ICC, President Trendafilova advised Bulgaria’s Ministry of Justice on the establishment of the ICC and was an expert within both the Ministry of Justice and the Bulgarian Parliament, where she chaired the Criminal Division of the Legislative Consultative Council. She has published and lectured extensively in the fields of criminal procedure, human rights, international, and comparative criminal law.