Mitrovica falls silent after Hague verdict

The immediate family of Kadri Veseli, one of the founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, lives in Mitrovica’s Bajr neighborhood. In a show of support for the KLA’s former leaders, KLA flags and national flags had been put up in the neighborhood.

Images of Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, the KLA’s four former leaders, had been displayed in front of the Veseli family home.

Inside the house, silence prevailed, interrupted only by the voice of Charles Smith, the presiding judge, as he read the verdict of the Specialist Chambers.

Those present remained motionless until the verdict was announced. After the sentence was handed down, the silence turned into disappointment and a sense of injustice among family members and citizens waiting outside the house.

At that moment, no one could find the words. As news of the former KLA leaders’ convictions spread, the same heaviness also descended on the center of Mitrovica.

Today, the city was quieter than usual. The Hague verdict created a somber atmosphere in the streets, squares and cafés.

Citizens received the news with anger, disappointment and a sense that an injustice had been committed. The Specialist Chambers’ ruling against the KLA leaders marks this as one of the darkest days since the end of the war.