THE HAGUE, Feb 9 - International war crimes prosecutors told judges on Monday that Kosovo's former president Hashim Thaci exercised authority over ethnic Albanian guerrillas and should be found guilty of war crimes, with a recommended sentence of 45 years in prison.
Thaci and three other former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army are accused of a range of crimes - including persecution, murder, torture and forced disappearances - allegedly committed during and in the immediate aftermath of the 1998-99 uprising that ultimately led to independence for the region with an Albanian majority from Serbia.
"The accused committed crimes against their perceived opponents to take control over Kosovo," prosecutor Kimberly West told the court in The Hague. West said that in 1998 and 1999 more than 100 political opponents and people perceived to have collaborated with Serbian security forces were killed, and that hundreds were abused in and around 50 detention camps operated by the KLA.
"This case is about the four accused's goal to gain and exercise control over all of Kosovo," West added as the nearly three-year trial at the special Kosovo war crimes court in The Hague neared its conclusion.
Hashim Thaci, 57, who has held the posts of prime minister, foreign minister and president of independent Kosovo between 2008 and 2020, and the three co-accused deny the charges against them.
Defence teams for Thaci, who are scheduled to present closing arguments on Wednesday, have argued that he lacked effective authority over the KLA and its military commanders during the uprising and the period that followed.
Prosecutors maintain that Thaci and other KLA leaders undertook a violent campaign aimed at political opponents and at minority communities - specifically ethnic Serbs and Roma - in pursuit of full control over Kosovo.
The prosecution also said that most victims of persecution were members of Kosovo's roughly 90% ethnic Albanian majority.
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, made up of international judges and lawyers, were established in 2015 to hear war crimes cases under Kosovo law against former KLA fighters. The court's creation and work remain contentious: many Kosovars view the tribunal as biased against the KLA, and regard its former leaders as heroes who liberated Kosovo from what they describe as repressive Serbian rule.
Summary
Prosecutors at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers requested a 45-year sentence for Hashim Thaci, arguing he controlled the KLA and that he and three co-accused committed widespread crimes - including killings and abuse in about 50 detention camps - during and after the 1998-99 uprising. The defendants deny the charges and the trial, which has run for nearly three years, is nearing its closing phase.
Key points
- Prosecutors seek a 45-year prison term for Hashim Thaci, alleging control of the KLA and responsibility for persecution, murder, torture and enforced disappearances.
- The indictment and testimony assert that in 1998-1999 more than 100 political opponents and perceived collaborators were killed and hundreds abused in and around 50 KLA-run detention camps.
- The case is being heard at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, a court staffed by international judges and lawyers created in 2015 to try ex-KLA members under Kosovo law - a process that remains politically sensitive in Kosovo, affecting perceptions of legal institutions and regional political risk.
Risks and uncertainties
- The defendants, including Thaci, deny all charges and defence counsel contend Thaci lacked real authority over KLA military commanders - an argument that introduces uncertainty about the trial's outcome; this legal uncertainty has implications for the rule of law sector and political risk assessments.
- Public perception in Kosovo that the tribunal is biased against the KLA and its leaders - who many Kosovars view as liberators - creates a risk of political and social friction, which could influence governance and investor sentiment in the region.
- The nearly three-year duration of the trial underscores procedural complexity and the potential for prolonged litigation, affecting expectations for finality and any subsequent legal or political developments tied to the case.