Kosovo lawmakers proposed a bill on Monday aimed at shrinking the powers of its war crimes court after the tribunal handed hefty sentences to its ex-President Hashim Thaci and three other former guerrilla figures.
Thaci and the other men were last month found criminally responsible for murders, illegal arrests, torture and cruel treatment committed by Kosovo Liberation Army fighters during the 1990s war for independence against Serbia.
Thaci was sentenced to 25 years in prison for war crimes, while the others were sentenced to between 13 and 25 years.
The verdict sparked outrage and protests in the Balkan nation where the men are largely regarded as heroes of Kosovo's independence struggle.
Opposition parties and war veteran organisations have long criticised the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC), which is established under Kosovo law but based in The Hague.
Under the proposed law, which passed its first reading on Monday, the KSC would no longer be able to try war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war between ethnic Albanian guerrillas and Serb armed forces.
Instead, its jurisdiction would be limited to crimes committed inside Kosovo in the immediate aftermath of the war.
- 'Hasty' -
It would also allow convicts to serve their terms in Kosovo, limit sentences to 15 years and clear the way for presidential pardons.
The proposal will now face parliamentary review before it can return to parliament for a second reading.
The court was established in 2015 under heavy international pressure from the European Union and the United States to investigate crimes committed by guerrilla fighters during the war.
Although it is part of the Kosovo judicial system, the hybrid court is seated abroad -- largely to prevent political pressure and threats to witnesses.
Speaking to parliament, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said his government supported the initial reading but said the proposed law was "hasty" and not properly "thought through".
Even if passed, the law would not affect the current sentences for Thaci and the other men, who have already said they will appeal through the established process at the KSC.
Several hundred protesters also gathered outside the parliament, pledging to blockade the building until the bill is passed.
In response, a large number of police have arrived near the entrances to the parliament as the current session continues.
