TIRANA, Feb 9 /ATA/ – Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted on Monday to the case of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, former parliamentary speakers Kadri Veseli and Jakup Krasniqi, and former lawmaker Rexhep Selimi, following closing statements at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, where prosecutors requested 45-year prison sentences for each of the four men on war crimes and crimes against humanity charges.
In a social media post, Rama described the prosecution’s request as a “burial alive” of the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders, saying he was still grappling to understand the reasoning behind the prosecution’s request.
“Friends from Prishtina ask me why I am not speaking about my friend who today faces 45 years in the prosecution’s sentencing request. I cannot comment yet, as I am still trying to figure out the logic that led the prosecution to seek such sentences and the burial alive of these four men,” Rama wrote.
The government head said he needed more time to process the prosecution’s position before commenting further.
The case involves alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between March 1998 and September 1999 in various locations in Kosovo and northern Albania. All four defendants have pleaded not guilty.
Special Prosecutor Kimberly West asked that each defendant be sentenced to 45 years, stressing that the charges remain serious and have not diminished over time.
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