BIRN launches page on trial of Thaçi and other KLA leaders
The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, BIRN, has launched a special page on the trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi and three other former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA). The resource was created ahead of the verdict in the case concerning war crimes and crimes against humanity at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which sit in The Hague.
Materials about the trial
As Balkan Insight reports, the page brings together BIRN reports and analytical materials on the case published since the trial began in April 2023. The selection includes news from Kosovo and The Hague, as well as an analysis of the case's possible consequences.
BIRN Deputy Regional Director Gentiana Murati said that the editorial team had closely followed the prosecution of Thaçi and the other defendants from the outset, covering developments and possible consequences. According to her, the verdict will be of great importance to Kosovo and the region, and BIRN will continue to analyse its consequences after the decision is announced.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
Charges and the defence position
Prosecutors at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers are seeking 45 years in prison for each of the four defendants. Besides Thaçi, the case involves former guerrilla leaders Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi.
The prosecution alleges that the defendants bore command responsibility for a campaign of persecution which, according to prosecutors, was carried out by KLA fighters during and shortly after the 1998–1999 war. The allegations concern murders, torture, enforced disappearances and unlawful detentions. All four deny the charges, and their lawyers are seeking acquittals.
As BIRN writes, the case has sparked outrage in Kosovo, where it is seen as an attempt to discredit the KLA's struggle against Serbian oppression. Supporters of the defendants have already held demonstrations and, according to the outlet, are expected to gather in The Hague on the day the verdict is announced.
