Former prosecutor of the Hague tribunal, Geoffrey Nice, has commented on the possibility of Kosovo filing a genocide lawsuit against Serbia, stressing that any such decision must be taken with great caution.
Nice recalled that the indictment of International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia against Slobodan Milošević for crimes committed in Kosovo did not include a charge of genocide.
“Let me begin with the indictment at the Hague tribunal. The indictment concerning Kosovo against Milošević did not include an allegation of genocide. It had been drafted by other lawyers before I started at the tribunal, and I had to immediately continue with the case,” Nice said.
According to him, the possibility of adding a genocide charge was considered, but ultimately a decision was made not to include it in the indictment.
“Genocide might have been possible to include in the indictment, but it was not included, and I believe the right decision was made because of the trial process,” he emphasized.
Nice’s remarks come amid renewed discussions about whether Kosovo could pursue legal action against Serbia at international courts, a move that analysts say would require strong legal evidence and a carefully prepared strategy.
