Endrit Thaçi, the son of the former president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, returned to Kosovo on Wednesday evening, after the announcement of the verdict against the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army in The Hague. Speaking to the media, Endrit Thaçi described the Specialized Chamber as a “criminal court” and said that he expects the decision to change at the Appeal level.
“Criminal court, but we believe they will be found innocent after the appeal”he said.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday evening (September 16), many citizens gathered in front of the Kosovo Government building, in protest against the decision of the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo in The Hague. The protesters considered the decision unfair and called for the continuation of the protests, declaring that they will not remain silent against the court’s decision.
The Specialized Chambers in The Hague sentenced the four former KLA leaders to a total of 81 years in prison. Hashim Thaçi and Jakup Krasniqi were sentenced to 25 years each, Kadri Veseli to 18 years, while Rexhep Selimi to 13 years of imprisonment. The panel found them guilty of several war crimes, including illegal or arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture and unlawful killing. They were acquitted of crimes against humanity and several other charges and incidents. In the judgment, it was emphasized that the criminal responsibility of each of them is individual, while the court concluded that the four accused had acted together within a common goal.
