In a special court in The Hague, the trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, accused of war crimes, began.
While Vladimir Putin is still on the run from the International Criminal Court in one of his bunkers, former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi is being tried for war crimes in The Hague. From 1997-1999, he led the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which fought for independence from Serbia. The allegations stem from that time.
Along with Thaci, there were three other senior members of the KLA who also held important peacetime political positions – Kadri Veseli, Yakup Krasnichi and Recep Selimi.
The substance of the accusations
The indictment states that Thaci, Veseldi, Salimi and Krasniqi are individually responsible for criminal acts committed during the armed conflict in Kosovo.
They are accused of collectively engaging in criminal activities to gain control over Kosovo, intimidating and displacing their opponents from March 1998 to September 1999 in the province itself and in northern Albania.
Six counts of the indictment relate to crimes against humanity – persecution, imprisonment, torture, murder and enforced disappearance, and another four counts – to war crimes: illegal arrest, ill-treatment , torture and murder.
According to the prosecution, hundreds of civilians and people who did not take part in the hostilities became victims of these actions.
Prosecutors said Thaci and his accomplices pursued a “clear and open policy of targeting collaborators and alleged traitors, including political opponents.”
The victims were often targeted simply because of links to Serbia, but most of the victims were ethnic Albanians, prosecutors said.
EPA
Court at The Hague
Hero or criminal?
In 1999, Thaci became President of Kosovo’s parallel government, the so-called Interim Government, and Supreme Commander of the KLA. In early 2008, Thaci was elected prime minister of Kosovo, and a month later, the province unilaterally declared independence.
In 2016, Thaci became president, but stepped down in November 2020 when he was charged with war crimes by a court and has been imprisoned in The Hague since then.
Many Kosovars consider Thaci a war hero. Most Kosovo Albanians described the war against “Serbian oppression” as mere self-defense.
On Sunday, a large rally was held in Pristina in support of Thaçi and the other defendants, supported by all political parties in Kosovo, as well as celebrities and some non-governmental organizations.
Demonstrators carried banners reading “Freedom has a name” and “History cannot be changed.”
Protests were also held outside the courthouse in The Hague.
In Serbia, the KLA is considered a terrorist organization.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.