The European Union has called on all states and parties to respect the decision of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers for the four former KLA leaders, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi.
The call from Brussels comes a few days before the announcement of the first instance verdict in The Hague and on the day when a peaceful march in support of the four former KLA leaders is expected to take place in Pristina. In a response to “Express”, the EU has stressed that it expects the court’s decision to be respected, while also underlining its support for the Specialist Chambers as an independent judicial institution. “On the eve of the announcement of the first instance verdict in the case of the Specialist Prosecutor against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selim and Jakup Krasniqi, we call on all states and parties to respect the judicial proceedings of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and the decision,” the EU’s response states.
Brussels recalls that the Kosovo Specialist Chambers were established through decisions of the Kosovo Assembly in 2014–2015, while the proceedings were moved to The Hague with the aim of guaranteeing independent, impartial and fair trials regarding allegations of serious crimes committed during and after the war in Kosovo.
EU: The process does not end with the September 16 decision
The European Union has made it clear that the first-instance verdict does not constitute the end of the judicial process. According to Brussels, the decision can be appealed by both the defense and the Specialized Prosecution. “As in all other judicial proceedings, first-instance verdicts can be appealed by both the defense and the prosecution,” the EU emphasizes. In conclusion, Brussels considers the work of the Specialized Chambers to be important for promoting accountability and for recognizing the experiences of victims and their families from all communities in Kosovo.
Meanwhile, a peaceful march in support of Thaçi, Veseli, Krasniqi and Selim is expected to take place in Pristina today, starting at 14:00 PM. The organizers have called for the participation of citizens from all over Kosovo, while the main demand is justice for the four former KLA leaders. The trial in The Hague has been accompanied throughout by criticism from Kosovo, where the Special Court has been accused by its opponents of bias. The indictment against the four former KLA leaders contains 10 counts, six of which relate to crimes against humanity and four to war crimes. Earlier this year, the Specialized Prosecution had requested sentences of 45 years in prison for the accused.
The Specialist Chambers were formed in 2015 and began operating in 2016–2017, following constitutional amendments and agreements to relocate proceedings to the Netherlands. Their creation came after strong international pressure, including from the United States. During his visit to Kosovo in December 2015, former US Secretary of State John Kerry had called for the establishment of a court to deal with allegations related to the Kosovo conflict. A few months earlier, in July 2015, US Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland had warned that if Kosovo did not establish this judicial mechanism itself, the international community would do so instead.
