English
Thousands of people gathered in the center of Pristina reacted with jeers and shouts of discontent to the verdict concerning former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and three other former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) who were sentenced for war crimes.
Portraits of former KLA leaders and the KLA flag were visible on the streets, and following the announcement of the verdict, some citizens shouted, “Not in my name.” Kosovo newspaper Koha reported that this message also spread across social media and at gathering points for citizens throughout Kosovo.
Thaci and Jakup Krasniqi were each sentenced to 25 years in prison for war crimes, while Kadri Veseli received 18 years and Rexhep Selimi 13 years. Support for the four former KLA leaders was evident across Kosovo even before today’s sentencing. Four days earlier, a massive “March for Freedom” was held in Pristina, drawing tens of thousands of people.
Organizers claimed that around 100,000 people participated in the march, though no independent verification of that figure has been released. “Koha” reported that thousands of citizens were on the streets of the capital.