Kosovo leaders convicted of war crimes by Hague tribunal
Former president Hashim Thaci and three former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders received prison sentences over crimes against civilians and political opponents during the 1998–99 war.
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague has convicted former president Hashim Thaci and former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi of war crimes committed during Kosovo’s 1998–99 war.
Thaci and Krasniqi were sentenced to 25 years in prison, Veseli to 18 years and Selimi to 13 years. The judges dismissed charges of crimes against humanity. Defence lawyers said the men would appeal.
The verdict, reported by Deutsche Welle, prompted protests and political condemnation in Kosovo. Gatherings were held in Pristina and other cities, where supporters waved Kosovo Liberation Army flags and voiced support for the four men.
Kosovo’s foreign minister, prime minister and acting president criticised the convictions. The Democratic Party of Kosovo, founded by Thaci and other former KLA leaders after the war, described the judgment as unjust and unacceptable.
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers was established by Kosovo’s parliament in 2015 and operates with international judges in The Hague. The trial began more than three years ago, nearly six years after the men were charged. All four denied the allegations.
Thaci resigned as Kosovo’s president in 2020 to face the case. The war killed about 13,000 civilians and displaced more than one million people, according to Deutsche Welle. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008; Belgrade does not recognise its statehood and relations remain tense.
