It’s all about this: More than two years after the former Kosovan President Hashim Thaci was arrested, the trial against him and three other people begins before the Kosovo Special Court: Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi. The indictment accuses them of war crimes and crimes against humanity during and shortly after the Kosovo War. All of the accused were leading figures in the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK). After the end of the Kosovo war, they were all influential figures in Kosovan politics.
Who was the KLA? The Kosovan Liberation Army (UCK) was founded in the 1990s to take up arms against the years of oppression of the Kosovar Albanians by the Serbian regime of Slobodan Milosevic. It was a rather decentralized guerrilla force
Is that what the accused are accused of in detail? In 1998 and 1999, prisoners were allegedly tortured and nearly 100 murders committed in a number of KLA prisons in Kosovo and Albania, for which the accused are held responsible. The victims are Serbs, Roma and so-called Kosovo-Albanian “collaborators”. Political opponents were also seen as such. The public prosecutor’s office accuses the accused of having been part of a so-called collective criminal enterprise. They are said to have been at the top of the chain of command and used violence and intimidation to attempt to gain control of Kosovo.
What does a former Swiss Council of States have to do with it? The Kosovo Special Court also goes back to a report by the former Ticino FDP Councilor of States, Dick Marty, to the Council of Europe. In it, Marty pointed out possible crimes committed by the UCK. One of the reasons why the report caused quite a stir was that the UCK was also accused of trading in prisoner organs. However, nothing remains of this allegation. There is not a word about this in the indictment.
Why isn’t the trial taking place in Kosovo? The Kosovo Special Court is a court under Kosovar law – but it sits in The Hague in the Netherlands. For example, witness protection should be better guaranteed. The Kosovan parliament has approved the establishment of the court. However, the decision was preceded by massive international pressure from the USA and the EU.
Legend:
Hashim Thaci also receives support from the population. On April 2, 2023, for example, a demonstration in favor of the Kosovan ex-president took place in Pristina.
REUTERS/Valdrin Xhemaj
How is the court seen in Kosovo? The majority of Kosovar Albanians feel that the special court is unfair because it only deals with crimes committed by Albanian perpetrators. The international Yugoslavia tribunal has dealt with the crimes of the main Serbian perpetrators – but only with those of high-ranking politicians and army representatives. In the eyes of many Kosovars, the special court in The Hague placed the UCK under general suspicion. The current Kosovar government also sees it this way: the Kosovar state will bear the defense costs.
On the other hand, relatives of alleged victims of the KLA, including Kosovar Albanians, see the court as the last chance for justice. They say the court is necessary because the Kosovan judiciary has failed to investigate alleged crimes committed by the KLA in recent years.
When is the verdict? The process is likely to take several years. More than 300 witnesses are expected to testify before the court.