Thousands rally in Pristina against Hague verdict on former KLA leaders
Crowds in Pristina protested the Kosovo Specialist Chambers' ruling that convicted four former KLA leaders of war crimes and handed down prison terms.
Thousands of people carrying Kosovo Liberation Army flags and banners gathered in Pristina on Friday to protest a ruling by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague against former KLA leaders.
Kosovo's former president Hashim Thaci was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of war crimes committed during the 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia. He stood trial alongside three other former KLA leaders — Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi — who are widely regarded as national heroes in Kosovo. All four had pleaded not guilty to every charge.
The court acquitted the four on six counts of crimes against humanity, with judges finding that prosecutors had not proved the crimes were part of a widespread and systematic attack on civilians. They were convicted of war crimes including the arbitrary detention of 385 people, cruel treatment of 49, torture of 303 detainees and the murder of 96 people.
Veseli received an 18-year sentence, Selimi 13 years and Krasniqi 25 years. All four maintained their innocence.
At the Pristina demonstration, residents voiced support for the convicted men. "We are here to support the former KLA leaders, to protest peacefully. We don't want our KLA to be violated," said local resident Nerxhivane Zylfiu.
Another protester, Osman Pervetica, said the verdict had been received with overwhelming emotion. "We experienced the verdict with emotions that are impossible to put into words," he said.
The crowd chanted "UCK," the Albanian acronym for the KLA, and carried a large billboard reading "In the name of people we declare you innocent," along with posters in English stating "Not in my name." Flags bearing the KLA logo and portraits of Thaci and Veseli were held aloft.
Most of the roughly 13,000 people who died in the Kosovo war were ethnic Albanians. The fighting ended after a 78-day NATO air campaign against Serbian forces, and about one million ethnic Albanian Kosovars were driven from their homes. Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move Belgrade refuses to recognise, and ties between the two sides remain tense despite years of EU-mediated negotiations backed by the United States.