Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has described the Hague verdict against former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi as an “unacceptable injustice”, saying the sentences were severe and damaging.
Reacting to the judgment of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers on Wednesday, Kurti said the verdict may have been formally delivered in the name of the people of Kosovo, but argued that this should not be confused with the will of the people.
“The conviction and such heavy sentences for the four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army are an unacceptable injustice, a major and damaging punishment,” Kurti said.
“The judgment may have been formally pronounced in the name of the people of Kosovo, but this empty formula should not be confused with the will of the people.”
Kurti also criticised several of the court’s findings, describing them as unjust and saying they should be challenged through the appeals process.
“This judgment must be changed and corrected at the appellate level, and as soon as possible,” he said.
Kurti expressed solidarity with the families of the four former KLA leaders and with their former comrades.
The four men were convicted over specific crimes examined in the Hague proceedings. The defence teams are expected to challenge the first-instance judgment through the appeals process.
Kurti’s reaction comes as Kosovo faces renewed debate over the verdict and its implications for the country’s wartime history and the legacy of the KLA.
