Kosovo Chambers Publishes Decision on Indictment against Ex-KLA Commanders

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers published on Monday a redacted decision by a pre-trial judge confirming an indictment against former President Hashim Thaci and three former fellow guerrilla commanders accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes during and after the 1998-99 Kosovo war.

According to the more than 200 page document, the decision to confirm the indictment was taken by pre-trial judge Nicolas Guillou on October 16.

Thaci resigned as president of Kosovo in early November. He and his co-accused - guerrillas-turned-politicians Kadri Veseli, Democratic Party of Kosovo leader Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi - have all pleaded not guilty.

The indictment alleges they were part of a "joint criminal enterprise" behind a string of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between at least March 1998 and September 1999, including criminal responsibility for nearly 100 murders.

They sought to stamp their control over Kosovo, it said, "by means including unlawfully intimidating, mistreating, committing violence against, and removing those deemed to be opponents."

As senior figures in the guerilla Kosovo Liberation Army, they had "superior responsibility," it said.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers were set up to try crimes allegedly committed during and just after the Kosovo war, when Kosovo Albanian civilians were killed and expelled by Serbian forces waging a brutal counter-insurgency war against the KLA.

The Chambers were set up under pressure from Kosovo's Western allies, who feared that Kosovo's justice system was not robust enough to try KLA cases and protect witnesses.

In mid November, the Specialist Prosecutor's Office, SPO, released documents accusing Thaci and his co...