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The Hague ruling on former KLA leaders is unacceptable, says Kosovo's Assembly

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 29 SET - The new Kosovo Assembly approved a declaration in its first plenary session regarding the ruling by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague against four former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders. Lawmakers found the conclusion that the four former KLA leaders had formed a "joint criminal enterprise" unacceptable. The declaration read by Assembly Speaker Albulena Haxhiu received support from Vetëvendosje, the Democratic Party (PDK), the Democratic League (LDK), the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, and the Multi-ethnic Parliamentary Group. The text, dated September 28, was approved with 99 votes in favor, none against, and no abstentions. This approval came as the PDK proposed amendments to the law governing Specialist Chambers. The draft, which was presented last week, seeks to limit the Court's jurisdiction to the crimes outlined in the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly report from 2011. Proposed amendments include limiting the timeframe of the Court's mandate—moving the start date from January 1998 to July 1999 while keeping the end date of December 2000—and imposing a maximum 15-year prison sentence. The text also states that sentences must be served in Kosovo, and those convicted are eligible for presidential pardons. (ANSA).