One of the most tense episodes in Kosovo politics has returned to the center of attention with a court ruling affecting one of the figures in the acting cabinet. The Basic Court in Pristina has found Xhelal Sveçla guilty of throwing tear gas into the chamber of the Kosovo Assembly on March 21, 2018, the day the agreement on border demarcation with Montenegro was ratified.
Court ruling, sentence expected to be announced on September 8
According to reporting by “Betimi për Drejtësi,” the trial judge, Sabit Sadikaj, announced that the ruling on the criminal offense of “use of a weapon or dangerous instrument” will be announced on September 8.
At the same hearing, the parties are also expected to present mitigating and aggravating circumstances, which will affect the final sentence. For now, the court has issued only the finding of guilt.
Sveçla had pleaded not guilty
On April 10, before the court, Sveçla had pleaded not guilty to the charges. At the September 2 hearing, he was not present in the courtroom.
The case carries political weight not only because of the position he currently holds as acting Minister of Internal Affairs, but also because it is tied to one of the fiercest parliamentary clashes in Kosovo in recent years.
What the indictment says and what the prosecution dropped
According to the amended indictment, Sveçla is accused of having activated a tear gas canister during an extraordinary session in the plenary hall on March 21, 2018, and of throwing it several times into the chamber without warning.
According to the prosecution’s version, the people present were not given the opportunity to leave. Meanwhile, the prosecution has dropped the criminal prosecution for the offense of “obstructing an official person in the performance of official duties” due to the statute of limitations.
The case comes after Glauk Konjufca was acquitted
Sveçla’s guilty verdict comes just days after the Basic Court in Pristina cleared acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora Glauk Konjufca of charges in another case related to the throwing of tear gas in the Assembly.
In the same proceedings as Sveçla, acting minister Fitore Pacolli-Dalipi, former Vetëvendosje MP Salih Zyba, and former Democratic League of Kosovo MP Drita Millaku are also accused.
A method of protest that left a mark on Kosovo politics
The use of tear gas in the Assembly became for years an extreme tool of political confrontation in Kosovo. Initially, Vetëvendosje deputies used it in 2015 against the agreement on the normalization of relations with Serbia.
Later, representatives of the Alliance and the Social Democratic Initiative also joined the opposition over the issue of demarcation with Montenegro. In 2018 as well, when the agreement was voted on, there was again tear gas in the Assembly, tension, and protests inside and outside the institution.
The ruling against Sveçla brings renewed attention to the way political clashes of that period went beyond the limits of parliamentary debate and ended up in courtrooms.
On September 8, it is expected to become clear not only what penalty will be imposed on the acting minister, but also the concrete weight the court gives to an act that for years has been politically justified by the camps involved.