The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague is due to issue its ruling in the three-year trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and three former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The case concerns alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during and shortly after Kosovo’s 1998-1999 war for independence from Serbia.
Thaci, a former political leader of the KLA, is on trial with Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi and Kadri Veseli. According to DW, all four have pleaded not guilty to charges including murder, torture and persecution. Prosecutors have sought 45-year prison sentences for each defendant.
Prosecutors allege that KLA forces killed more than 100 political opponents and people viewed as collaborators with Serbian security forces. The allegations include killings of prisoners held at KLA facilities in Kosovo and Albania, as well as politically motivated murders of Serb, Albanian and Roma civilians.
The defense has argued that the defendants did not have sufficient control over KLA forces to be held responsible for the alleged acts. Their lawyers also maintain that there is no direct evidence connecting Thaci’s command to the crimes. Thaci said in August that he expected to be acquitted of every charge.
The proceedings have drawn close attention in Kosovo, where Thaci and the KLA are widely regarded as symbols of the independence movement. The verdict is being livestreamed in Pristina, where thousands of supporters are expected to gather after rallies over the weekend calling for acquittals. Prime Minister Albin Kurti described the conflict as a just war of liberation and said he hoped the KLA leaders would return home.
Thaci resigned as president after his indictment in 2020 and has remained detained in The Hague. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, established under Kosovo law in 2016 with international judges, was created to prosecute alleged KLA war crimes after earlier cases in Kosovo faced accusations of political interference and witness intimidation. DW reports that Thaci also faces a separate trial over alleged obstruction of justice, which could keep him in custody even if he is acquitted in this case.