Trial of Former Kosovo President Accused of War Crimes Begins in The Hague

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, left, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, right, shake hands as they meet at the State Department on Feb. 26, 2020, in Washington. Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP 

The trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who has led the partially recognized republic since 2016 and resigned in November 2020, began on Monday, April 3, at the International Criminal Court in The Hague. From 1997-1999, Thaci led the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which was an ethnic Albanian militia that fought in the War for Independence from Serbia. The charges relate to war crimes committed during that time period.

In addition to Thaci, there are three other defendants: Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Recep Selimi, who were high-ranking members of the KLA and held high political positions in peacetime - all deny the charges in the case. As an international prosecutor, Alex Whiting claimed, "These four men were undoubtedly the main leaders of the KLA, and for that, they were lauded and honored, but there was a darker side to their leadership, and that will be the subject of the trial that begins today." Prosecutors intend to prove abuse, torture, and more than 100 murders between 1998 and 1999, with most of the victims of the accused being Kosovar Serbians.

The case is being led in the Special Court Chamber for Kosovo, created in 2015 with the support and funding of the European Union. The Chamber is a unique institution because it operates under the laws of Kosovo, but is based in The Hague and employs international staff in order to shield the case witnesses from pressure in a country where many commanders of the 1990s occupy high political positions. 

Supporters of former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci protest in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 3, 2023. Photo: Peter Dejong/AP 

However, many Kosovars consider Hashim Thaci a war hero, and many Kosovo Albanians call the war against "Serbian oppression" to be self-defense. Thus, on Sunday, April 2, a large rally was held in Pristina, Kosovo in support of Thaci and other defendants -- demonstrators shouted slogans like "History cannot be changed" and "Freedom has a name." The demonstrations also took place outside the courthouse in The Hague. One of the protesters, Shqiprim Veseli of Ferizaj said, "The reason we came out today is that we have to support the fighters who gave us freedom. And it's good to support them because they are being held there unfairly.” 

In Serbia, however, the KLA is considered to be a terrorist organization. During the armed conflict in Kosovo, the former Serbian autonomous province’s military took more than 10,000 lives and was halted by NATO intervention. "The indictment means hope for the thousands of victims of Kosovo's war who have waited more than twenty years for justice," said Amnesty International's Balkans Rapporteur Helena Cesar. After the withdrawal of the Serbian army and police, Kosovo effectively became an international protectorate, and in 2008 it declared its independence.

The US and most Western countries recognize Kosovo's independence, but Serbia, along with Russia and China, does not. Relations between Serbia and Kosovo remain tense, despite US and EU attempts to normalize them.