Former KLA leaders sentenced to 81 years in prison, Kurti calls for state strategy in response to The Hague verdict

Following the first-instance ruling by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague against four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, Prime Minister Albin Kurti has called for the drafting of a joint state strategy.

Kurti made his position known after meeting with young members of the Albanian diaspora in the United States. He said the Kosovo government was ready to support both efforts during the appeals process and diplomatic engagement.

In a Facebook post, the prime minister wrote that the executive branch of the Republic of Kosovo remains determined to use every form of support and all available means to correct the Specialist Chambers’ verdict against the former KLA leaders.

According to Kurti, the ruling is unjust from a legal and moral standpoint, while historically and factually it is inaccurate. For this reason, he called on the institutions to coordinate their positions and actions.

He said agreement was needed on a state strategy that would enable the most appropriate and effective response to the first-instance verdict, both by assisting the teams in the appellate proceedings and through diplomatic efforts.

Kurti also announced that Kosovo would continue its cooperation with international allies and its sustained efforts to defend the KLA’s liberation war against Serbian propaganda. At the same time, he called for continued efforts to document and shed light on the massacres and other crimes committed by Serbia in Kosovo.

The meeting with young members of the diaspora in New York also addressed issues related to the economy and improvements to the judicial system.

In the middle of the week, the Specialist Chambers in The Hague sentenced Hashim Thaçi, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi to a combined total of 81 years in prison. The four convicted men have announced that they will appeal the ruling.

Meanwhile, protests against the verdict have been held in Kosovo, as discussions continue over the measures that should be taken at the institutional and diplomatic levels.