Specialist Prosecutor welcomes convictions of Thaçi and other KLA leaders: "Long-overdue justice for victims

“Today’s verdict, based solely on the facts and the law, is important for accountability and the rule of law in Kosovo. The Court has confirmed that no one, regardless of their rank or political standing, is above the law or immune from accountability for serious international crimes,” West said.

She stressed that the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office would carefully review the full judgment in the coming days, including the six counts of the indictment concerning crimes against humanity on which no convictions were entered.

“The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office remains committed to establishing accountability and supporting the rights of victims in the next stages of the judicial proceedings,” she said.

West emphasized that the case brought by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office concerns individual criminal responsibility and does not challenge historical narratives.

“The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office held individuals accountable for their actions in accordance with its mandate, and nothing more. The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office did not prosecute the Kosovo Liberation Army or the war fought for Kosovo’s independence,” West said.

She added that individuals had taken advantage of the circumstances of the war to commit serious crimes.

West recalled that during the presentation of evidence, the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office called 125 witnesses to testify in person in the courtroom, while around 3,000 pieces of evidence in various languages were admitted as evidence.

In the judgment, the Trial Panel found Thaçi, Veseli, Selimi and Krasniqi guilty of the unlawful or arbitrary arrest and deprivation of liberty of at least 385 people, cruel treatment of at least 49 people, torture of 303 people, and at least 96 murders.

According to the judgment, the crimes were committed against hundreds of civilians and people who did not participate in hostilities, between April 1998 and June 20, 1999, across municipalities throughout Kosovo and in two districts in northern Albania.

Thaçi was sentenced to 25 years in prison, Veseli to 18 years, Selimi to 13 years, and Krasniqi to 25 years in prison.