Former U.S. envoy to Kosovo Christopher Hill has said he does not believe former Kosovo President and former political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), Hashim Thaçi, was involved in crimes during the Kosovo War.
In an interview with Klan News, Hill commented on the Kosovo Specialist Chambers’ sentences totaling 81 years against former KLA leaders, while also discussing Thaçi’s role during the war.
Hill described Thaçi as a capable commander and as exceptionally mature for his age at the time, saying he had always viewed him positively.
“Hashim Thaçi was a personality and extremely mature for the age he was. Thaçi understood that Kosovo needed to be in a better position, and I always appreciated that about him. I do not believe he was involved in crimes. I never had the sense that Thaçi was involved in illegal acts,” Hill said.
Commenting on the Specialist Chambers’ ruling, Hill urged Kosovo Albanians not to respond with anger and instead to place their hopes in the appeals process.
“I would appeal for there not to be anger over this decision. We should look ahead and hope that the Appeals Court decision will be in favor of the former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army,” he said.
Hill was among the defense witnesses who testified during the trial of Hashim Thaçi and other former KLA leaders before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
The remarks come after the first-instance verdicts in the case, with the defendants retaining the right to appeal.
