Kosovo Moves To Punish Denial Of Serb War Crimes

Kosovar Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj said the move to tackle the denial of war crimes was intended to "punish such declarations by Kosovo Serbs." (file photo)

Kosovo said it would punish the denial of war crimes committed by Serb forces, an effort likely to further inflame tensions between Belgrade and Pristina.

The effort, announced by Deputy Prime Minister Enver Hoxhaj on April 12, was intended to "punish such declarations by Kosovo Serbs."

It's unclear how quickly the proposed legislation will move through Kosovo's legislature, or what form it will take.

But it comes two days after Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic asserted that the conclusions of an international probe into the killing of 45 Kosovar civilians in January 1999 were "fabricated".

Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj responded angrily, saying it was an example of "the dangerous reality of Serbian nationalism.”

"There can be no reconciliation without accepting the truth of the past," he said in a post to Twitter.

Serb officials maintain that the fighting in January 1999, southwest of Pristina, involved guerilla fighters from the Kosovo Liberation Army.

The killings were a factor that led to NATO airstrikes and the withdrawal of Serb forces.

More than 13,000 people died during the Kosovo conflict.

Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters