US urges calm as Kosovo fires top prosecutor

PRISTINA, Nov 25 - The United States has called for calm and “full respect for the law” after Kosovo’s Prosecutorial Council voted to remove acting chief prosecutor Besim Kelmendi in a chaotic session.

The move came after a media report claimed Kelmendi had worked with a Serbian judge in 1999 on a case linked to the Reçak massacre — a claim he strongly rejects.

Only five of 13 council members voted for his dismissal, short of the six needed for a legal quorum. Kelmendi says the vote is invalid and that he will stay in office.

Some council members agreed, calling the move “non-existent” and warning of an “institutional coup.”

Despite the dispute, the council named Agron Qalaj as the new acting chief prosecutor, deepening the crisis.

The U.S. Embassy, reacting for the first time, urged all sides to follow proper legal procedures.