Hundreds of people took to the streets in Kosovo hours after a court in The Hague sentenced former president Hashim Thaçi to 25 years in prison for war crimes. The crowd gathered outside the European Union Rule of Law Mission building in the capital, Pristina. Many protesters were draped in flags representing the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which Hashim Thaçi led during the 1998–1999 war with Serbia.
Reaction to the verdict
The verdict, which Hashim Thaçi can appeal, challenges a core belief underpinning Kosovo‘s statehood: that the Kosovo Liberation Army took up arms to defend its people and liberate the country from the Serbian army.
Social media in the region was flooded with posts reading “Not in my name.” Kosovars used the phrase to push back against the court’s claim that the decision reflected the will of the people of Kosovo.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the sentences for Hashim Thaçi and three other former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders an “unacceptable injustice.” In a video address, Albin Kurti said the convictions and harsh penalties for the four former KLA leaders constitute an “unacceptable injustice, a great and harmful punishment,” and urged the verdict to be overturned on appeal.
Source: Bloomberg
