European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday that the verdict issued by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague against four former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders must be fully respected, while stressing that the ruling concerns individual criminal responsibility and does not rewrite Kosovo’s history.
“The verdict was issued by an independent judicial institution and its mandate must be fully respected,” von der Leyen said at a joint press conference with Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti in Pristina.
She acknowledged the strong emotions triggered by the verdict in Kosovo and praised what she described as the measured response of citizens and political leaders who have called for calm.
Von der Leyen also stressed that “nothing and no one can rewrite Kosovo’s history”, referring to the violence, humanitarian crisis and suffering during the 1998-99 conflict. She said the Hague verdict concerns the individual responsibility of those convicted and does not amount to a judgment on Kosovo’s resistance.
The Specialist Chambers sentenced former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi and former Assembly Speaker Jakup Krasniqi to 25 years in prison each, former Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli to 18 years and former KLA commander and lawmaker Rexhep Selimi to 13 years.
Kurti said Kosovo respected judicial institutions but argued that the verdict contained factual, historical and legal errors and expressed the expectation that these would be addressed on appeal. He also stressed that the KLA itself was not on trial.
The Hague verdict has triggered protests and strong political reactions in Kosovo. The country’s parliament has also condemned the convictions, while debate has intensified over the future mandate of the Specialist Chambers.
Von der Leyen’s visit comes at a politically sensitive moment for Kosovo, with the EU also emphasizing the importance of institutional stability and continued progress on reforms and the country’s European path.
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