{
  "id": 11228775,
  "title": "Thousands rally in Kosovo against war crimes convictions of wartime leaders",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/thousands-rally-in-kosovo-against-war-crimes-convictions-of-wartime",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-01T16:10:56.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/10/01/thousands-rally-in-kosovo-against-war-crimes-convictions-of-wartime-leaders"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Thousands of people gathered in Kosovo on Thursday, marking the largest nationwide protest to date against recent war crimes convictions of four wartime rebel leaders. The demonstration took place in the capital, Pristina, and was the biggest of its kind in the country so far. The individuals convicted are former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and three other leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), who were found guilty of war crimes committed during the 1998-99 conflict for independence from Serbia. The verdicts were handed down in The Hague, Netherlands, with sentences ranging from 13 to 25 years in prison.\n\nThe protests expressed widespread discontent among the public and politicians, with many feeling that the court ruling tarnishes Kosovo’s struggle for independence. Demonstrators carried signs reading \"not in my name\" and praised the KLA as a liberation movement. A group of citizens also expressed disappointment with the European Union, accusing it of \"letting Kosovo down\" by supporting the Hague court.\n\nThe conflict in Kosovo resulted in over 13,000 deaths and forced approximately 1 million ethnic Albanians to flee their homes. Kosovo declared independence in 2008, a decision Serbia has not recognized. In a rare show of unity in Kosovo's politically divided parliament, lawmakers unanimously condemned the war crimes verdicts in a statement. The opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo had previously proposed limiting the mandate of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, the Hague-based court dealing with KLA crimes.\n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was on a Balkan tour, arrived in Pristina on Thursday amid the unrest. She stated that the war crimes verdicts were delivered by independent judicial institutions and must be respected. Von der Leyen emphasized that \"1999 is engraved in Europe's collective memory: the violent repression, the humanitarian crisis and the suffering endured by your people.\" Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who assumed office nearly three weeks ago, did not oppose the law condemning the verdicts but said he awaited an interpretation from his legal office. Kurti expressed the belief that the verdicts contain factual, historical, and legal errors, and he expects these to be corrected on appeal. The protests, though generally peaceful, have exacerbated an already month-long political crisis due to a deadlock over the election of a president, leading to two early elections. Prime Minister Kurti faces a deadline on October 6 to reach an agreement with opposition groups on the next president, or else early elections will be held.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Thousands rally in Pristina against war crimes convictions of Thaci and KLA leaders.",
    "Verdicts handed down in The Hague for 1998-99 conflict crimes.",
    "Protests highlight discontent over independence struggle and EU support."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}