Kosovo ex-president Thaci faces Hague war crimes verdict

A Kosovo war crimes tribunal on Wednesday will hand down its ruling in a three-year trial of former President Hashim Thaci and several commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the 1998-1999 independence war with Serbia.

Thaci, a former KLA political leader, and former high-ranking KLA guerrillas Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi and Kadri Veseli, have all pleaded not guilty to multiple counts including murder, torture and persecution.

Prosecutors have requested 45-year prison sentences for each defendant.

What are the defendants accused of?

Prosecutors have said KLA forces killed more than 100 political opponents and perceived collaborators with Serbian security forces during and just after the Kosovo war.

This included prisoners held at KLA facilities in Kosovo and Albania, along with politically motivated murders of Serb, Albanian and Roma civilians.

The defense has argued that the senior KLA figures could not control or be held responsible for such acts, as the group lacked a strict command structure.

Lawyers have argued there is no direct evidence linking Thaci's command to any of the alleged crimes. 

"I expect to be acquitted of every charge," Thaci said in August.

Seen as heroes in Kosovo

The accused are revered as national heroes inKosovo, and the KLA and Thaci are seen as symbols of the independence movement. Thaci remained a central political figure after the war and was instrumental in Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia.

The verdict in The Hague is being livestreamed in the Kosovo capital, Pristina, where thousands of Thaci and KLA supporters are expected to gather. This follows rallies over the weekend that drew tens of thousands calling for the men's acquittal. A huge digital clock is counting down to the verdicts on Wednesday.

"Our war was just, a war of liberation," Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said ahead of the verdict.

"We believe and hope … that the KLA leaders will return free to their country and to their families," he added.

After being indicted in 2020,Thaci resigned as president and has been detained in The Hague since then.

Tribunal deeply unpopular in Kosovo

Throughout the proceedings, prosecutors have tried to distinguish between Kosovo's struggle for independence from Serbia and the alleged crimes committed by the men on trial.

The tribunal responsible for prosecuting the case, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC), was set up in 2016 after earlier cases in Kosovo failed due to alleged political interference and witness intimidation.

Explainer: What are the Kosovo Specialist Chambers?

Although based in The Hague, and staffed by international judges, the KSC was established under Kosovo law specifically to prosecute alleged KLA war crimes.

Nevertheless, the KSC remains deeply unpopular in Kosovo. Out of 15 people indicted so far by the KSC, three are serving sentences.

"Throughout my life, I stood with the people of Kosovo defending freedom, life and dignity. I was always guided by the Western ideals of democracy, equality and justice," Thaci told judges in February as the proceedings concluded.

Thaci faces a second trial over alleged obstruction of justice, which could mean he will remain in custody even if acquitted on Wednesday in the war crimes case.