Gashi: Working group is actively working on the genocide lawsuit against Serbia

A working group operating within the cabinet of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti is diligently working on preparing a lawsuit for genocide against Serbia, which will soon be submitted to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, attorney Tome Gashi from Pristina stated to Kosovo Online.

"Work is already underway to gather evidence. Within the Prime Minister's Office, a working group has been formed to collect evidence, and in the near future, a lawsuit for genocide against Serbia will be filed," Gashi said.

He noted that genocide had been committed against Albanians during the conflicts in 1998 and 1999 in Kosovo.

Gashi mentioned that the working group had been established several years ago with the objective of following all procedures and gathering sufficient evidence to secure a verdict for genocide against Serbia in court.

Addressing claims from Serbian legal experts that Kosovo lacks the capability to file such a lawsuit because it is not a member of the United Nations, Gashi stated that another country, specifically Albania, could file the lawsuit on Kosovo's behalf.

"Some believe that Kosovo, as a new state, lacks the right to file a genocide lawsuit because it is not a member of the United Nations, but if it is permitted, Albania can assist us and file the lawsuit on our behalf. If there is political will, which I believe is lacking between Kosovo and Albania," Gashi clarified.

From a legal perspective, as he mentioned, Kosovo could file the lawsuit itself once it is admitted to the Council of Europe.

"Kosovo has applied for membership in the Council of Europe, and when it is accepted as a state, there are no legal obstacles preventing us from filing such a lawsuit," Gashi believes.

According to him, the lawsuit for genocide against Serbia will be submitted to the International Court in The Hague.

"That is the same court that, in 2010, after Serbia filed a request to determine whether Kosovo had the right to declare independence because it was under the United Nations and UNMIK in 2008, ruled or issued a verdict that Kosovo did not violate international law and had the right to declare independence," Gashi stated.

Recently, academic Arsim Bajrami, appearing on RTK, suggested that the Institute for War Crimes established in Pristina could engage in a genocide lawsuit against Serbia, and Gashi agreed with it.

"That Institute has a role; they gather evidence for war crimes and genocide that Serbia committed in Kosovo against Albanian nationals, against us, during the war, which is essentially considered the period from 1998 to 1999," Gashi concluded.