Agon Maliqi: The Hague verdict has affected the legacy of the KLA war
tidings
Express Newspaper
28/09/2026 7:58
The analyst and connoisseur of developments in Kosovo, Agon Maliqi, said that the reactions of the citizens after the verdict of the Special Court against the former leaders of the KLA are related to the perception that the verdict has directly affected the legacy of the liberation war and the history of Kosovo.
In a statement to Radio Free Europe, Maliqi said that the debate after the verdict should focus on the individual responsibility of the persons for the crimes for which they were convicted, and not on the creation of a narrative that links the entire leadership of the KLA with criminal motives.
“We must honestly ask: are the convicted those who were the perpetrators and order givers of the crimes and does this type of verdict establish justice?”, said Maliqi.
According to him, the judgment did not bring justice for either the victims or the convicted, since, as he estimates, the responsibility was attributed to the command level without being individualized in each case.
Maliqi emphasized that this issue should be at the center of the public debate after the decision of the Special Court.
“The debate should be refocused on the individual responsibility of those who committed the crimes, and not by building a narrative of the criminal motives of the KLA leadership,” he said.
The Special Court in The Hague, on September 16, sentenced Hashim Thaci to 25 years in prison, Kadri Veseli to 18 years, Rexhep Selimi to 13 years and Jakup Krasniqi to 25 years, for war crimes. All four former KLA leaders were found not guilty of crimes against humanity. The judgment is of the first instance and the defense has announced an appeal.
