Specialized chambers Kosova in The Hague on Wednesday (September 16) she was sentenced by the first instance Hashim Tachi, the former president and prime minister of Kosovo and one of the most famous political leaders of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) to a single prison sentence of 25 years.
Jakup Krasnić was also sentenced to a single sentence of 25 years in prison.
Kadri Veselji was sentenced to a single sentence of 18 years.
Redzep Seljimi was sentenced to a single sentence of 13 years in prison.
The time they have spent so far in custody is counted in the sentence for all of them.
The journalist "Vremena" reports that everything is as usual in North Mitrovica. On the main bridge, there is one carabinieri vehicle on the north side, and one Kosovo Police (KP) vehicle on the south side. KP was even less driven than on Tuesday afternoon.
Photo: Milica SrejićBridge in Kosovska Mitrovica
For what acts were they convicted?
All four convicted were among the political and military leaders of the KLA during the war, and after the war they occupied high positions in Kosovo's institutions. In 2008, as prime minister, Thaci declared the independence of Kosovo, and later served as its president.
The process began after the Specialized Chamber, established in 2015, confirmed the indictment against four former KLA leaders in 2020.
Photo: AP Photo/Zana CimiliSupport for the four defendants in Pristina
They have all been detained in The Hague since November 2020, the trial began in April 2023, and the evidentiary proceedings ended at the end of 2025. 134 witnesses testified in the courtroom.
The indictment charges them with crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least March 1998 to September 1999, in Kosovo and parts of northern Albania. Specifically, six counts refer to crimes against humanity: persecution, imprisonment, other inhumane acts, torture, murder, and enforced disappearance. Four counts relate to war crimes: illegal or arbitrary arrest and detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder.
Photo: Milica SrejićBridge in Kosovska Mitrovica
According to the indictment, the victims were hundreds of civilians and other persons who did not participate in hostilities. The Prosecution claims that the four defendants are individually criminally responsible for the crimes committed by members of the KLA as part of, as stated in the indictment, a wide and systematic attack on persons who were considered to be opponents of the KLA.
The convicted previously rejected all allegations and pleaded not guilty. Their defense argued that there was not enough evidence to directly link Thaci and the others to specific crimes, while describing the charges as an attempt to rewrite the history of the war in Kosovo. In the final stage of the proceedings, the prosecution requested sentences of 45 years in prison for each of the four.
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