Hostile Reactions to Kosovo Wartime Leaders’ Verdict Miss Key Point: the Victims’ Ordeal

The first-instance verdict in the trial of Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers was received in Belgrade and Pristina in a predictable manner: as yet another event interpreted through national political narratives. Belgrade believes the sentences were not severe enough, that the court protected the interests of the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, and that it failed to sufficiently take into account the crimes committed against Serbs. In Pristina, politicians deemed the verdict unjust, and thousands of people took to the streets to express support for the convicted former KLA leaders. There is nothing new in such reactions. We have witnessed similar responses regarding the verdicts of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, ICTY. 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