Story perspectives

Police disperse protesters after Kosovo war crimes verdict

By Drooid · Sep 16, 2026, 10:47 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Dutch police disperse protesters

Dutch police used water cannons to disperse protesters outside the Special Court in The Hague after sentencing.
The Special Court sentenced Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi to 81 years in prison.
Police warned demonstrators to leave the courthouse entrance, move to a park, and warned of force for non-compliance.
Officers ordered citizens to stay no longer than two minutes in front of the Special Court building.

Summary

Kosovo leaders decry sentencing

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers issued a first-instance verdict sentencing KLA-linked individuals.
The U.S. State Department said it respects the verdict and urged avoiding inflammatory rhetoric.
Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca called the verdict terrible, unjust and undeserved.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti posted on Facebook that the sentences are an unacceptable injustice.
More than 10,000 ethnic Albanians plan to march in The Hague while Kosovo screens the sentencing live.

History

Historical Context

In 1999 NATO air strikes ended the Kosovo war, leading the UN to establish the ICTY, which indicted 161 individuals and later tried former president Slobodan Miloševic. That precedent underlies today’s Kosovo Specialist Chambers ruling, where four former KLA members received a combined 81-year sentence, sparking protests outside the Hague courthouse.

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Dutch police disperse protesters

Dutch police used water cannons to disperse protesters outside the Special Court in The Hague after sentencing.
The Special Court sentenced Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi to 81 years in prison.
Police warned demonstrators to leave the courthouse entrance, move to a park, and warned of force for non-compliance.
Officers ordered citizens to stay no longer than two minutes in front of the Special Court building.

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