John Duncan, a former British adviser to NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe Wesley Clark during the Kosovo war, has said that public dissatisfaction in Kosovo following the first-instance verdict at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers has triggered a wave of protests and renewed calls for the unification of Albanians.
Duncan, who testified as a defense witness at the Specialist Chambers in the case against former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders, said the consequences of the verdict were becoming increasingly serious.
“Public dissatisfaction over the decisions has led to six days of protests in Prishtina and renewed calls for the unification of Albanians. The consequences of this case are becoming increasingly serious,” Duncan wrote.
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers delivered its first-instance judgment on September 16, finding Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi guilty of war crimes and imposing prison sentences of 25 years on Thaçi and Krasniqi, 18 years on Veseli and 13 years on Selimi. The proceedings remain subject to appeal.
Duncan served as an international affairs adviser to General Wesley Clark during the Kosovo conflict and later testified for Thaçi’s defense at the Specialist Chambers. His role as a witness in the case has been documented by the court.
His comments come amid public demonstrations in Kosovo following the verdict, with some protesters also raising calls for closer political or national unification between Kosovo and Albania.
Duncan did not elaborate in his statement on what specific consequences he expected from the protests or the renewed calls for unification.
