The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, reacted after the judgment of the Special Court in The Hague against four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
In a press conference, Vucic said that the first-instance decision did not include, according to him, crimes against humanity and crimes committed against Serbs.
He presented photographs that, according to him, prove crimes against the non-Albanian population and criticized the fact that these cases were not included in the sentences given.
Vucic focused on the six counts of crimes against humanity, which the jury did not find proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
“They didn’t want to undermine the credibility of the KLA and they didn’t want to get into the heart of the matter,” declared the Serbian president. According to him, the decision did not even deal with issues such as kidnappings, murders and disappearances of Serbs after the end of the war, while he also mentioned the case known as the “Yellow House”.
Vucic also said that the KLA’s goal of creating an independent Kosovo from Serbia and former Yugoslavia was not addressed in the judgment. However, the Serbian president emphasized that Serbia must maintain peace and stability in the region, despite the strong reactions after the Hague decision.
“The solution in the future undoubtedly lies in conversation, greater understanding and dialogue with everyone,” said Vučič.
He added that the ongoing tensions, decades after the wars in the former Yugoslavia, show, in his opinion, the need to confront the past and for a wider dialogue in the region.
The four former leaders of the KLA, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi, were found guilty of several war crimes, while they were found not guilty of crimes against humanity.
