After Delays and Controversies, End in Sight For Thaci’s Kosovo War Crimes Trial

A verdict on accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity against former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and three other high-profile defendants will be announced in The Hague on September 16. The trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, in which former parliament speakers Kadri Veseli and Jakup Krasniqi, and former MP Rexhep Selimi, are also accused, has been marred by delay and controversy. It has also been accompanied by the noise of protests by supporters of the defendants in Pristina, Tirana, Skopje, Strasbourg and The Hague, as some ethnic Albanians consider the court biased against the just war of the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA. The trial has been surrounded by accusations of fake news and hate speech, and has even led to witness intimidation charges and convictions. “People will certainly gather in the Hague, I will be there, but we have not organised any protest so far,” Hysni Gucati, the head of KLA’s Veterans Organisation told BIRN. It is expected that ethnic Albanians will travel to the Hague from across Europe on September 16 for the announcement of the verdict. “We believe they will be acquitted as they are not guilty,” Gucati said. Subscribe to Balkan Insight Premium to read the full article. Please login to your account below if you are already a Premium Subscriber. Buy Premium Subscription Our Premium Service gives you full access to all content published on BalkanInsight.com, including analyses, investigations, comments, interviews and more. Choose your subscription today and get unparalleled in-depth coverage of the Southern and Eastern Europe. Buy Premium Subscription If you have trouble logging in or any other questions regarding you account, please contact us