The German outlet “Cicero” has published an extensive analysis of the Special Court’s judgment in The Hague against former KLA leaders, raising questions particularly about the 25-year prison sentence handed down to former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi.

In the analysis published on September 20, author Alexander Rhotert notes that the defendants were acquitted of charges of crimes against humanity, while considering the criticism from Kosovo regarding the severity of the sentences understandable.

“Cicero” places the case in the context of several proceedings conducted by international tribunals for war crimes in the former Yugoslavia.

The analysis mentions cases such as that of 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.

In Đorđević’s case, “Cicero” recalls that the sentence was related to crimes committed against Kosovo Albanian civilians.

In this context, the author compares Thaçi’s sentence with other sentences handed down for serious crimes during the wars in the former Yugoslavia and argues that the 25-year prison sentence appears significantly higher than those imposed in some of the cases cited for comparison.

According to the analysis, the comparison between Thaçi’s case and Đorđević’s raises at least one question, although the author acknowledges that they involved two different courts and cases with different legal circumstances.

“Cicero” also highlights another important element of the judgment, emphasizing that the Court did not find that the convicted individuals intended to expel or carry out the mass killing of non-Albanian persons, and that the prosecution failed to prove such an intent.

The German outlet’s analysis thus places the judgment against the former KLA leaders within a broader debate about the proportionality of sentences and the way war crimes cases in the former Yugoslavia have been handled legally.

In Kosovo, the judgment against the former KLA leaders has triggered numerous reactions, while comparisons with the decisions of international tribunals involving former Serbian and Bosnian officials have been part of the public debate over the fairness of the proceedings and the severity of the sentences.

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On 19.09.2026, at 20:51, Altin Krasniqi, the son of Jakup Krasniqi, was also seen at the protest taking place in Skanderbeg Square in Pristina.

He joined the citizens gathered in the square, who are opposing the ruling of the Specialist Chambers against the former KLA leaders.

Tonight’s gathering marks the fourth day of protests organized in Pristina following the ruling by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

On 19.09.2026, at 20:50, the Kosovo Police placed forces on standby in Skanderbeg Square, where the fourth day of the protest against the Specialist Chambers’ ruling on the former KLA leaders was expected to begin shortly afterward.

Citizens had begun gathering in the square, while the presence of police on the ground was intended to ensure security and the normal conduct of the protest.

The gathering had been announced to begin at 21:00 and was expected to attract participants from Pristina as well as from other cities across Kosovo.

On 19.09.2026, at 20:50, citizens from across the country gathered for the third consecutive night in Skanderbeg Square in Pristina, in protest against the Specialist Chambers’ ruling on the four liberators.

Once again this evening, a large number of citizens joined the gathering organized by the “Freedom Has a Name” platform.

The protest was expected to begin at 21:00, with only a few minutes separating the citizens from its start.

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On September 16, the Special Court in The Hague found former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi guilty on four counts of war crimes. Their sentences amount to a total of 81 years in prison.

However, the delivery of the first-instance verdict does not mark the end of the legal battle.

The focus is now expected to shift to proceedings before the Appeals Panel. The defense may challenge the judgment and seek to have parts of it amended or overturned, while one of the main issues is the scope the Appeals Panel has to intervene in the findings and sentences imposed at first instance.

According to legal experts, the appeal could lead to a review of some of the judgment’s findings or the sentences imposed. The outcome will depend on the issues and arguments the parties present to the Appeals Panel.

The right to appeal does not belong solely to the defense. The Prosecution may also challenge parts of the verdict, including acquittals, as well as matters related to the type and length of the sentences.

Speaking to “Bota sot,” lawyer Gazmend Halilaj explained that following the judgment by the Special Court in The Hague, attention should focus on the appeals process and the possibility of amending the first-instance decision.

He emphasized that the law gives the defense the right to challenge the judgment and seek the amendment or annulment of those parts it considers unfounded or contrary to the law.

According to Halilaj, the Appeals Panel may examine how the law was applied, how the evidence was assessed and how the court proceedings were conducted. For this reason, the sentences could be reduced or partially amended, while under certain circumstances some of the first-instance findings could also be reviewed. He clarified that none of these possibilities is guaranteed, as the final decision will be made by the Appeals Panel based on the arguments presented during the proceedings.

Halilaj also called for the case to be addressed solely at the legal and institutional level, without prejudice or political influence. He said he supports the Special Court and that its decisions should be respected as part of a judicial process, but that the defendants’ right to appeal and to due process must also be guaranteed.

According to him, the appeals review must be awaited to determine which parts of the judgment will remain in force, which may be amended and what the final decision regarding the four former KLA members will be.

The lawyer stressed that the Prosecution may also appeal the counts that resulted in acquittals, seeking to have them amended and the defendants found guilty.

He added that an appeal may also be filed regarding the counts on which the defendants were found guilty, specifically in relation to the type and length of the sentences. Consequently, according to Halilaj, the Appeals Court could also amend the verdict to the detriment of the defendants.

Meanwhile, legal expert Blerim Burjani told “Bota sot” that the outcome of the appeals process will largely depend on the defense’s level of preparation and work. He said that at this stage, it is still impossible to determine the extent to which the sentences could change.

Burjani said the defense must do more to obtain evidence that could influence a change in the court’s verdict. According to him, the sentences will be reduced, but the extent of the reduction cannot be known until the appeals process begins and unfolds. He added that a great deal of work is needed to find significant evidence that could secure the freedom of the liberators.

Describing the situation as very serious, Burjani also called for the state to become involved in supporting the defense. According to him, the state should provide support through professional teams, with the aim of securing their release.

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Altin Krasniqi said that his father, Jakup Krasniqi, is 76 years old and may no longer be alive by the time he completes the 25-year sentence handed down by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

He said the support shown by citizens during the protest was a major source of motivation. According to him, the people have already deemed the former KLA leaders innocent, as they took part in the Kosovo Liberation Army’s just war.

Krasniqi described the moment the verdict was delivered as extremely difficult. He said he had visited his father and that Jakup Krasniqi remains strong-willed. He expressed pride in him and said that his father’s strength had encouraged him as well.

“We are proud of each of them. A 25-year sentence is extremely harsh. My father is 76, and he may not be alive by the time his sentence ends. We are proud of him because we have lived in freedom for 20 years, which might not have been possible without the KLA’s war,” Altin Krasniqi told EuroNews.

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Afrim Gashi, Speaker of the Assembly of North Macedonia, said that no court ruling can undo the fact that Hashim Thaçi, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi are part of one of the most glorious chapters in Kosovo’s history.

Reacting after the Specialist Chambers’ guilty verdict against the former KLA leaders, Gashi stressed that, for the Albanian people, they have been and continue to be liberators.

He added that the proceedings before the Specialist Chambers do not end with this ruling, as the legal battle will continue at the appeals stage.

In his full Facebook post, Gashi wrote:

At a time when Kosovo’s freedom, as well as peace and stability in the region, remained ideals that still had to be fought for, they showed the courage to commit themselves and assumed the historic responsibility of bringing freedom to their people.

In the eyes of the Albanian people, they are and will remain Kosovo’s liberators. It was precisely the KLA’s struggle, and the sacrifice and selflessness of its leaders and members, that paved the way for Kosovo’s liberation and the beginning of a new era of peace and stability for the region.

The ruling issued today is at first instance, so the pursuit of justice will continue.

For this reason, today we must remain united, calm and dignified, showing that our thoughts and hearts are with the liberators and their families.

The struggle for a free Kosovo was the most difficult battle, and they managed to win it. A free Kosovo remains the testament of the generation that had the courage to dream of freedom, but also the consolation that should give us the strength to face today’s ruling and other challenges.

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Following the ruling by the trial panel in The Hague, which sentenced Kadri Veseli to 18 years in prison, his son, Klestor Veseli, reacted.

Klestro Veseli said the family would maintain its strength and resilience despite the sentence handed down to the former president of the Assembly of Kosovo.

“Thank you very much, but we are strong, we must remain strong — we have nothing more to say,” Klestro Veseli said.

Kadri Veseli’s defense is expected to appeal the judgment before the Court of Appeals of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, seeking the annulment of the conviction and his final acquittal.

Kadri Veseli was sentenced to 18 years in prison, a term that will also include the period he spent in pretrial detention.

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Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi has been sentenced to 25 years in prison in the first instance by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

During the reading of the verdict, he remained impassive as the trial chamber called him one of the main perpetrators of a series of crimes committed during the war in Kosovo, a period Thaçi has said he is most proud of.

After the sentencing was announced, Thaçi shook his head and smiled before sitting down.

The trial chamber found him criminally responsible for acts including murder, torture, cruel treatment, and unlawful detention, committed during the war in Kosovo.

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The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague have sentenced Kadri Veseli, the former president of the Assembly of Kosovo and former member of the General Staff of the Kosovo Liberation Army, to 18 years in prison.

While reading out the judgment, the trial panel also gave its assessment of Veseli’s position and role.

According to the court’s findings, he had unlawfully abused his power and position, using them for criminal purposes.

In determining the sentence, the court took into consideration Veseli’s personal circumstances, as well as his conduct throughout the judicial proceedings.

The trial panel assessed that Veseli had behaved well throughout the entire process, except for one particular incident. His voluntary surrender to the Specialist Chambers was also taken into account in the sentencing decision.

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The former president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, has been found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to 25 years in prison by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

According to the trial panel, Thaçi bears criminal responsibility for murder, torture, cruel treatment, and illegal detention, acts committed during the war in Kosovo.

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The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office has asked the Special Court to find Hashim Thaçi, Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj, Fadil Fazliu and Hajredin Kuçi guilty, all of whom are charged with obstructing justice.

During the hearing, the SPO argued that the sentencing requests are supported by the evidence and facts presented during the trial, the seriousness of the criminal offenses and all the factors that must be assessed when determining the sentence.

“Based on all the evidence and facts, the Prosecution asks the honorable court to issue a decision in accordance with the law, the evidence and the facts. It requests that the defendants be found guilty on all counts of the indictment, taking into account the gravity of the criminal offenses and all the factors considered in determining the applicable sentence in this case,” it was stated at the hearing.

The Prosecution requested nine months in prison for Hajredin Kuçi, and three years in prison each for Fadil Fazliu, Isni Kilaj and Bashkim Smakaj. For former President Hashim Thaçi, the Prosecution requested six years in prison.

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