Thousands rally in Kosovo against war crimes convictions of wartime leaders

PRISTINA, Kosovo — Thousands of demonstrators rallied in Pristina on Thursday, creating the largest nationwide demonstration in the country to challenge recent war crime convictions against four former rebel leaders from the 1998-99 conflict.

A previous ruling by the international tribunal in The Hague found former President Hashim Thaci and three additional KLA commanders guilty of war crimes committed during the 1998-99 struggle for independence from Serbia. The sentence imposed ranged from thirteen to twenty‑five years in custody.

These decisions have triggered sustained protests across the small Balkan state.

Kosovo authorities denounced the findings as unjust, arguing that the KLA—a movement originally championed by Thaci—fought against Serbian oppression. Citizens feared that the rulings would undermine the integrity of the independence fight.

Crowds occupied central piazzi of Pristina, holding signs reading “Not in my name” while honoring the KLA as a liberation force. Some participants criticized the European Union for supporting the The Hague tribunal.

Local resident Iliriana Bullartovci, traveling with her daughter to join the crowd, described the acquittals as a profound injustice, stating it was a “great injustice.”

The strife resulted in more than thirteen thousand fatalities and the displacement of approximately one million ethnic Albanian Kosovars.

A seventy‑eight‑day NATO aerial campaign eventually forced Belgrade to evacuate Kosovo, which served as a Serbian province at the time. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, while Serbia retains formal non‑recognition.

Amid deep division, a cross‑party coalition recently issued a united condemnation of the verdicts. The opposition Democratic Party proposed limiting the power of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, the Hague‑based tribunal tasked with handling KLA cases.

Activists blocked a road near Pristina airport as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen arrived for a visit.

During a briefing with Prime Minister Albin Kurti, von der Leyen asserted that the verdicts were derived from independent judgment and deserved full respect.

The EU leader called the case history of violations and legal misstatements, adding that corrections could be sought on appeal.

“No entity shall erase Kosovo’s legacy,” she declared. She noted that 1999 remains etched in Europe’s collective memory as a period of violent suppression and human suffering for the citizenry.

Kurti faced an October 6 deadline to make a deal with opposition groups on the presidency, lest another early election occur.

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