Cicero” calls the Hague sentence into question: Thaçi received 25 years, Serbian officials received lighter sentences

An analysis published by the German outlet “Cicero” examines the decision of the Special Court in The Hague against the former leaders of the KLA, focusing in particular on the 25-year prison sentence handed down to former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi.

The article, published on September 20 and written by Alexander Rhotert, emphasizes that the defendants were not found guilty of crimes against humanity. According to the author, in these circumstances, the criticism expressed in Kosovo over the severity of the sentences is understandable.

To assess the severity of the sentence, the analysis compares the case with other proceedings handled by international war crimes tribunals concerning the former Yugoslavia.

It mentions Biljana Plavšić, who was sentenced to 11 years in prison; Vojislav Šešelj, who received 10 years; Jovica Stanišić, who received 15 years; and former Serbian police general Vlastimir Đorđević, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Regarding Đorđević’s case, “Cicero” emphasizes that the judgment against him concerned crimes committed against Albanian civilians in Kosovo.

By comparing these cases, the author argues that Thaçi’s 25-year prison sentence appears significantly harsher than some of the sentences handed down for serious crimes during the wars in the former Yugoslavia.

The analysis acknowledges that the comparison between Thaçi and Đorđević should be viewed with caution, since they were tried by two different courts and the cases involved different legal circumstances. Nevertheless, it argues that the comparison raises questions about the proportionality of the sentence.

Another aspect of the judgment highlighted by “Cicero” is that the Court did not find that the convicted individuals had intended to expel or carry out the mass killing of non-Albanian people. Nor did the prosecution manage to prove the existence of such an intention.

In conclusion, the German outlet views the decision against the former KLA leaders as part of a broader debate about the proportionality of sentences and the legal treatment of war crimes in the former Yugoslavia.

The decision has triggered numerous reactions in Kosovo, while comparisons with the sentences handed down by international tribunals to former Serbian and Bosniak officials have become part of the public discussion about the fairness of the proceedings and the severity of the punishments.