The Hague ruling raises security concerns in Kosovo, experts appeal for calm and avoidance of provocations

On September 16, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague are expected to announce their verdict against former President Hashim Thaçi, former parliamentary speakers Jakup Krasniqi and Kadri Veseli, and former MP Rexhep Selimi. They face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, while all four have pleaded not guilty to all ten counts of the indictment.

Protests have been announced for the same date, prompting the US Embassy in Pristina to ask US citizens to avoid traveling near areas where the gatherings are expected to take place.

The embassy’s notice has heightened public concerns that, depending on the content of the Special Court’s ruling, violent protests and unrest could occur in Kosovo and the region.

Avni Islami, a professor of security sciences, appealed to citizens of the Republic of Kosovo to show calm, restraint and vigilance in a statement to “Bota sot.”

According to Islami, Serbia is using fake news to create the impression that unrest will occur in Kosovo as part of a hybrid war. He believes these efforts will fail in the face of the citizens’ maturity.

Islami said that, just hours before the verdict is announced for the KLA leaders, Serbian propaganda and intelligence services, including the BIA and other structures, have been activated at an unprecedented level.

He said sensational statements and false information about fabricated unrest in Kosovo are circulating in the media and on social networks. According to him, this scenario, together with the recent exercises by the Serbian army near Kosovo’s border, constitutes a genuine hybrid war that will fail thanks to the maturity of the people.

Warning against provocations and disinformation, the professor called on citizens to remain calm and act with restraint.

He stressed that citizens should not trust false information intended to cause panic, while describing their cooperation and trust in the institutions as the strongest form of protection.

According to Islami, the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, KIA, and the Kosovo Police are on full alert and are strong and unbreakable. He added that any attempt by foreign intelligence agencies or destabilizing elements to incite provocations and undermine the constitutional order will be neutralized immediately, emphasizing that the security of the Republic of Kosovo is guaranteed and inviolable.

Security expert Valdet Hoxha also spoke about expectations surrounding the ruling, saying that the Special Court’s verdict against the four KLA figures is being followed with great interest both in Kosovo and internationally.

Hoxha explained to “Bota sot” that this case could serve as a precedent for similar cases in the future.

According to him, Kosovo citizens’ direct experience of the war of liberation may lead them to express the emotions and expectations they have regarding this process. As he said, this could create a perception among the public that a possible guilty verdict could be followed by tensions and unrest in the country.

The expert described the Kosovo Police’s operational plan for September 16 as a standard procedural and operational measure. He stressed that this measure is necessary for security, but does not prejudge the outcome and is in no way connected to the Special Court’s independent decision-making.

In conclusion, Hoxha expressed optimism about the verdict, saying he expects the trial panel to make an independent and unbiased decision without giving credence to the allegations raised by the prosecution.

He argued that the KLA’s war was just and a war of liberation, imposed by Serbia’s brutal occupation and violence. Hoxha added that it was above all a voluntary war, supported by international partners led by the United States, who actively participated in Kosovo’s liberation, independence and state-building.