After nearly six years in detention and a lengthy trial, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi will face the first-instance verdict in The Hague on Wednesday. The prosecution has sought 45 years in prison for each of them, while the defense has requested the full acquittal of the accused.
Të lidhura
None found
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague have announced that the hearing will be held on September 16 at 10:00. It will be open to the public and broadcast live in Albanian.
This is one of the most important and sensitive decisions for Kosovo since the end of the war. Although it will not be final, the verdict could have an immediate impact on the defendants’ legal fate and trigger strong political and public reactions.
Thaçi, Veseli, Selimi and Krasniqi, who have served as president, parliamentary speakers and members of parliament, have been held in detention in The Hague since November 2020. They are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, including persecution, arbitrary detention, torture, murder and enforced disappearance.
The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office alleges that these crimes were committed against political opponents, people suspected of collaborating with Serbian forces and members of non-majority communities. All four defendants have rejected all the charges and pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of 45 years in prison for each of them. According to Reuters, they allege that more than 100 people were killed during the alleged campaign against political opponents and people considered collaborators of the Serbian authorities.
These remain allegations by the prosecution and, until the verdict is announced, cannot be regarded as proven guilt.
The defense, on the other hand, has argued that there is no direct evidence linking Thaçi, Veseli, Selimi and Krasniqi to the alleged crimes. It says it has also not been proven that they exercised effective control over the people who may have committed these acts.
The court may issue one of three main types of rulings: acquit all four defendants on all counts, find them guilty of only some of the charges, or convict them on most of the charges.
Responsibility does not have to be assessed in the same way for all four. The trial panel must separately examine the evidence and the alleged responsibility of each defendant, meaning the outcome may differ for each of them.
If they are found guilty, the judges will also impose the corresponding sentences. The time spent in detention since November 2020 must be credited toward the length of their sentences.
An acquittal could lead to the defendants’ release, but the court must first determine whether there are any other legal grounds for continuing their detention.
For Hashim Thaçi, the possibility of immediate release is more complicated than it is for his three co-defendants. Even if he is acquitted in the main trial on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges, he is not expected to be released automatically.
Thaçi is facing separate proceedings related to allegations of obstructing the administration of justice and influencing witnesses. He has also denied these charges. In that case, the prosecution has sought a six-year prison sentence, but no final ruling has yet been issued there either.
If Veseli, Selimi or Krasniqi are acquitted in the main trial, the issue of their release will be considered directly, unless the court finds another legal basis for continuing their detention.
The September 16 verdict will be only a first-instance ruling. Both the prosecution and the defense will have the right to appeal, meaning the legal proceedings may continue beyond Wednesday.
Nevertheless, the first ruling is expected to carry particular weight. For the first time, the judges will determine which allegations they consider proven and which are not supported by the evidence.
Kosovo is awaiting the verdict amid a tense atmosphere. Screens and clocks counting down the time remaining until the ruling is announced have been installed in Pristina and other cities. Thousands of citizens have also taken part in a march supporting the former KLA leaders and calling for their release.
Political and public reactions are expected to be strong, whatever the outcome. An acquittal could shift the balance of power on the political scene, particularly within and around the PDK.
A conviction could deepen distrust of the Specialist Chambers and widen the dispute over how the KLA’s war is treated.
However, the verdict should be understood as a ruling on the individual responsibility of the four defendants, not as a judgment against the Kosovo Liberation Army or the people of Kosovo’s struggle for freedom.
The KLA’s war and NATO’s intervention brought an end to repression by Serbian forces, during which thousands of Albanian civilians were killed and around one million Albanians were driven from their homes.
Kosovo’s attention is now focused on The Hague. In 24 hours, the court’s first ruling in this case will be announced, but it will not necessarily be the final word.
