Kosovo could face a period of heightened tensions as the Hague court prepares to deliver its first-instance verdict against former President Hashim Thaci and three other former senior Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) figures.
The verdict is expected on Wednesday, September 16, in The Hague. Prosecutors have requested prison sentences of up to 45 years for each of the four defendants, all of whom have pleaded not guilty.
One of Germany’s leading newspapers has warned that a guilty verdict could trigger fresh protests and increase political and social tensions across Kosovo. The case could also influence public perceptions of NATO’s 1999 intervention in the Kosovo war.
Thousands of people gathered in Prishtina on Saturday in support of the former KLA leaders, calling for their release ahead of the verdict.
Meanwhile, another European newspaper has highlighted how the proceedings in The Hague have contributed to Thaci’s popularity among parts of the Kosovo Albanian public. It also revisited earlier allegations concerning alleged organ trafficking, noting that those claims have not been supported by conclusive evidence.
The prosecution maintains that the former KLA leaders should be held responsible for crimes allegedly committed by forces under their command. The defense, however, argues that the KLA did not have a clear and functioning chain of command and that the defendants lacked effective control over fighters on the ground.
For many Kosovo Albanians, the verdict is seen as going beyond the individual fate of the defendants. It is also viewed as a decision that could influence how the KLA war and Kosovo’s struggle for independence are perceived both inside the country and internationally.
