Thousands protest in Pristina over former President Thaçi's war crimes conviction

Thousands of people took to the streets of Pristina, Kosovo's capital, on Friday to voice anger over a ruling by the Specialist war crimes court in The Hague against former President Hashim Thaçi. On Wednesday the court sentenced him to 25 years in prison.

The verdict

Judges found Thaçi and three co-defendants criminally responsible for murder, unlawful detention, torture and cruel treatment carried out during the conflict by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). Co-defendants Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi received sentences of 18, 13 and 25 years respectively.

Thaçi served as Kosovo's president from 2016 until his resignation on 5 November 2020, when he was arrested the same day and handed over to the court in The Hague. The KLA fought in 1998 and 1999 for the independence of predominantly ethnic Albanian Kosovo from Serbia, an independence ultimately achieved with NATO's help.

Reaction in Kosovo

The verdict triggered widespread outrage in a country where many still regard the accused as war heroes. Friday's demonstration, organized by KLA veterans, was the largest since the ruling was announced. Protesters are demanding that the verdict be overturned. Thaçi's lawyer said his client would appeal the decision and urged people to remain calm.

Kosovo's government condemned the ruling, with Prime Minister Albin Kurti calling it unacceptable and pledging his administration's support for Thaçi and the other convicted men throughout the appeals process. Several of Kosovo's international allies have called for the court's decision to be respected, while Human Rights Watch described the verdict as an important step for victims.

The Specialist Chambers were established separately in 2015 under international pressure and are formally part of Kosovo's judicial system, though staffed by international judges and prosecutors; for security reasons, proceedings are held in The Hague.