Former KLA Commanders Convicted of War Crimes at The Hague

A court in The Hague found four former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders criminally responsible for war crimes. These leaders are Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi. Their crimes included arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture, and unlawful killing.

The court determined that KLA members carried out actions between April 1998 and June 1999. These actions happened in 12 municipalities in Kosovo and one district in Albania. They resulted in the deaths of 96 people who were not actively fighting.

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi and Jakup Krasniqi were each sentenced to 25 years in prison. Kadri Veseli received an 18-year sentence. Rexhep Selimi was sentenced to 13 years. This is a first-instance verdict. It can be appealed.

After the verdicts, protests broke out among Kosovo Albanians in The Hague and Pristina. Some climbed on police vehicles. Police used water cannons to disperse crowds. In Pristina, a group tried to breach the fence of the EULEX mission, but security forces stopped them. The European Union called for restraint. They said the Special Court should do its work without interference. Political parties in Kosovo also urged calm.