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Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci faces verdict for alleged war crimes
Al Jazeera • • general
Key Points:
- The Kosovo war crimes tribunal is set to deliver verdicts on Wednesday for former President Hashim Thaci and three ex-KLA commanders accused of murder, torture, and persecution during Kosovo's break from Serbia.
- Thaci, along with Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi, and Kadri Veseli, deny the charges, while prosecutors seek 45-year prison sentences for each.
- The trial is highly divisive in Kosovo, where many ethnic Albanians view Thaci and the other accused as war heroes; recent mass rallies in Pristina have called for their acquittal.
- Prosecutors allege the men targeted political opponents and civilians seen as collaborators during the Kosovo Liberation Army's conflict with Serbian forces, but defense lawyers argue there is no direct evidence linking Thaci to the crimes.
- The Kosovo war (1998-99) resulted in approximately 13,000 deaths, mostly ethnic Albanians, and ended with NATO intervention; Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a status not recognized by Serbia, maintaining ongoing regional tensions.
