Constitutional expert Kadri Kryeziu has described the Hague sentences against four former leaders of the Kosova Liberation Army as a major disappointment for people in Kosova and Albanians worldwide. Speaking live to RTSH-24 from Prishtina, he said the ruling had shocked public opinion.

Kryeziu said the four defendants had served in the Kosova Liberation Army and fought against what he described as Serbian genocide. He argued that the sentences exceeded the legal framework applicable at the time. According to him, the alleged offenses should have faced Yugoslav legislation, which set a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

Meanwhile, Kryeziu called the sentences “draconian,” harsh and unprecedented in European history. He said the defense lawyers should appeal and present new evidence. He identified three possible objectives: full acquittal, reduced sentences or a retrial before the Appeals Court.

Kryeziu also criticized the judges’ conduct. He said they had acted in unison with the prosecution and against the defendants, which he argued undermined a fair trial. He further questioned the ruling’s formula “In the name of the people of Kosova,” saying it lacked logic in this context.

Earlier cases involving former Kosova Liberation Army commanders and Croatian soldiers, he said, showed that first-instance convictions could later lead to acquittals on appeal. Kryeziu characterized the current sentences as political and hostile. However, he said they would not affect Kosova’s statehood because they carried individual legal consequences.

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