Tensions erupted in The Hague on Wednesday following the Kosovo Specialist Chambers’ verdict against four former senior Kosovo Liberation Army leaders — Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi.
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The court sentenced the four men to a combined 81 years in prison. Thaçi and Krasniqi were each sentenced to 25 years, Veseli to 18 years and Selimi to 13 years. The convictions concern war crimes, including murder, torture, cruel treatment and arbitrary detention.
The verdict triggered protests outside the court, where supporters of the former KLA leaders gathered to oppose the judgment. Demonstrators called the verdict unjust and voiced support for the KLA.
Tensions later escalated as protesters confronted police. Demonstrators climbed onto a police van, while Dutch authorities moved to disperse the crowd.
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Police used water and other crowd-control measures as the confrontation intensified. Protesters were reported to have thrown flags, bottles, cans, stones and branches toward officers, while police also used irritant spray and began making arrests.
The situation remained tense around The Hague’s Malieveld area, with a heavy police presence deployed as authorities attempted to disperse the protesters and restore order.
The verdict marks the conclusion of a trial that began in April 2023 and followed years of proceedings before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. The indictment covered alleged crimes committed between at least March 1998 and September 1999 in Kosovo and parts of northern Albania.
The four defendants had denied responsibility for the alleged crimes throughout the proceedings. The judgment is a first-instance decision and can be appealed.
The verdict has already triggered strong reactions in Kosovo, where the four former KLA leaders remain highly prominent figures, while demonstrations have also taken place in Pristina.