Hashim Thaci Awaits Verdict in The Hague

A special tribunal in The Hague will deliver its verdict on Wednesday in the trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and three other former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA).

Prosecutors are seeking 45-year prison sentences for Thaci and his co-defendants, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi.

The four are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, persecution, unlawful detention and enforced disappearances, committed during and after the 1998–1999 Kosovo war. Prosecutors allege that the crimes targeted hundreds of civilians and others suspected of opposing the KLA.

All four defendants deny the charges. Their defense teams argue that prosecutors have failed to establish their individual responsibility for the alleged crimes.

The verdict comes amid heightened security and tensions across the region. Screens counting down to the judgment have been erected in Kosovar cities, while police and international peacekeeping forces have prepared for possible unrest.

For many Kosovar Albanians, Thaci remains a hero of the struggle for independence, and the tribunal is deeply unpopular. In Serbia, however, the proceedings are closely watched as part of the wider effort to hold perpetrators accountable for crimes committed during the conflicts that accompanied the breakup of Yugoslavia.

(Reuters, max)