Families and supporters of former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders gathered in their hometowns on Wednesday as the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague handed down first-instance verdicts against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi.
In Burojë, the hometown of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, streets leading to his family home were filled with KLA flags and photographs of the former wartime leaders as relatives and local residents followed the proceedings.
Gani Thaçi, one of Hashim Thaçi’s brothers, said the family continued to believe in what he described as the “just war” of the KLA, as well as in God and justice.
“Faith in the just war of the KLA, faith in God and faith in justice,” Gani Thaçi said, adding that members of the family had traveled to The Hague while their mother remained in Burojë because of her health.
Local resident Faik Thaçi described the six years since Hashim Thaçi’s detention and absence from Kosovo as a difficult period, recalling him as a figure who had repeatedly called for unity.
The Specialist Chambers sentenced Hashim Thaçi and Jakup Krasniqi to 25 years in prison each, while Kadri Veseli was sentenced to 18 years and Rexhep Selimi to 13 years. The first-instance verdicts remain subject to appeal.
The families of the defendants reacted strongly to the judgments.
At the home of Jakup Krasniqi’s brother, Avdyl Krasniqi said he believed the four former KLA leaders had effectively been punished for their words and questioned the legitimacy of decisions being made on behalf of the people.
He also criticized Serbia’s reaction to the proceedings, referring to the recent state funeral of convicted Bosnian Serb wartime commander Ratko Mladić in Belgrade.
Krasniqi said Kosovo could face difficulties following the verdict but expressed doubt that Serbia would ultimately achieve what he described as its political objectives.
Kadri Veseli’s brother, Ismet Veseli, also followed the verdict in person.
The ruling prompted a wave of reactions across Kosovo, including on social media, where the phrase “Not in my name” became widely shared.
The reactions from the families and supporters reflect the continuing divisions surrounding the Specialist Chambers and its proceedings. While the court convicted the four former KLA leaders of several war crimes, it acquitted them of six counts concerning crimes against humanity.
The verdicts are not final, and the defendants have the right to challenge the judgments through the appeals process.
