The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague handed down first-instance verdicts to commanders of the terrorist KLA, Hashim Thaçi, Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli, and Rexhep Selimi, who were charged with crimes, persecution, and the killing of at least 102 Serbs, non-Albanians, and disloyal Albanians.
Thaçi was sentenced to 25 years in prison, Krasniqi to 23, Veseli received 18 years, and Selimi 13 years in prison.
Thaçi was found guilty of unlawful or arbitrary arrest and deprivation of liberty as a war crime against at least 385 persons, cruel treatment as a war crime against at least 49 persons, torture as a war crime against at least 303 persons, and murder as a war crime against 96 persons. On the other hand, Thaçi was acquitted of charges regarding persecution, imprisonment and other inhumane acts, torture, murder, and enforced disappearance of persons, as well as crimes against humanity.
Thaçi was found guilty on several counts of the indictment, specifically receiving individual prison sentences of 15 years, four years, and 23 years for murder, resulting in a total sentence of 25 years for war crimes!
Krasniqi was sentenced to individual terms of 15 years, four years, 20 years, and 23 years, and a consolidated sentence of 25 years. Veseli received sentences of ten, three, 13, and 16 years, resulting in a total term of 18 years.
Selimi was sentenced individually to terms of six, two, eight, and 11 years, and received a combined sentence of 13 years in prison.
“The crimes committed were vast in scale; the detainees included women and children, even babies,” said Judge Charles Smith, adding that it had been proven that 96 people were murdered.
“Thaçi abused his position and used his office to advance the criminal aspects of a joint objective. A mitigating factor is that he contributed to the establishment of the Specialist Chambers and surrendered voluntarily,” Smith said, noting similar points regarding Veseli, Selimi, and Krasniqi.
