Thaci urges judges to acquit him in Kosovo war crimes case at The Hague

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Kosovo's former president cast himself Wednesday as a statesman and peacemaker as he urged international judges to acquit him of what he called groundless charges including murder, torture and persecution dating from his nation's struggle for independence.

“Throughout my life, I stood with the people of Kosovo defending freedom, life and dignity. I was always guided by the Western ideals of democracy, equality and justice,” Hashim Thaci told judges at the end of his nearly three-year trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.

Supporters in the court’s public gallery at the beginning of his speech pushed against the glass wall separating them from the courtroom to wave at the former president before being chastised by security guards. One man could be seen wiping away tears as Thaci spoke.

Prosecutors have asked for a maximum 45-year prison sentence for Thaci and the other defendants, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi. Thaci also faces a separate trial on charges of intimidating witnesses that will begin later this month.

Thaci resigned from office in 2020 to defend himself against the 10 charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during his country’s 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia. He and three other former leaders of the separatist Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) have been in custody since November 2020 at the court in The Hague, which formally is part of Kosovo’s judicial system. They must now wait — likely for months —- until judges reach verdicts.

In his closing statement to the court, Thaci, who has always insisted he is innocent, said "the only just decision would be my full acquittal.”

He said he returned from studies in Switzerland to help defend his homeland against brutal attacks by neighboring Serbia and ultimately becoming a key KLA representative in Western-brokered peace talks and later president of his home country.

“During all that time, the only power I had was the power of my voice," he said.

“I used my voice to promote a multi-ethnic and tolerant society in my country, in Kosovo,” he added.

On Monday, prosecutor Kimberly West painted a starkly different picture, saying that witnesses provided “overwhelming evidence” that Thaci and his fellow defendants, while commanding the Kosovo Liberation Army, pursued a policy of targeting political opponents and civilians perceived as collaborators and traitors, West told judges.

Thaci also dismissed claims that Kosovo Albanian fighters harvested organs from prisoners during the war as “Russian and Serbian propaganda.”

Wednesday's closing statements came a day after thousands of people marched through Kosovo's capital, Pristina, in support of Thaci and the other former fighters on trial in The Hague as the country marked the anniversary of its independence.

In 2008, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia, a move that Belgrade refuses to recognize. Ties between Kosovo and Serbia remain tense, despite nine years of negotiations mediated by the European Union and supported by the United States.

Many Kosovars consider the court's proceedings an attempt to rewrite their history, saying it’s trying to equalize Serbia’s crimes to their suffering.

Most of the 13,000 people who died in the war in Kosovo were ethnic Albanians. A 78-day campaign of NATO airstrikes against Serbian forces ended the fighting. About 1 million ethnic Albanian Kosovars were driven from their homes.

Thaci said he returned to Kosovo to help the fight, saying: “I did not return to risk my life for control or for power. I returned to my homeland, risking my life, for freedom and for peace.”

Associated Press Writer Molly Quell in The Hague contributed.