SERBIA – Vučić on the Hague Verdict: Crimes Against Humanity Were Left Out

– Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić reacted today to the verdict of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague against four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), stating that the decision did not include charges of crimes against humanity and that the court did not address a series of cases of killings, kidnappings and disappearances of Serbs, according to the Serbian public broadcaster RTS.rs.

Vučić said the first-instance verdict did not include the six counts related to crimes against humanity, because, in his words, the trial panel concluded that the existence of a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population had not been proven beyond reasonable doubt.

He said the court did not address what he described as the KLA’s goal of fighting for Kosovo’s independence, while claiming that crimes committed against Serbs after June 20, 1999 were not included in the proceedings.

Vučić also mentioned the well-known case of the “Yellow House”, saying it was not part of the indictment, and listed a series of cases that, in his view, were not taken into account in this trial.

He cited claims of the kidnapping of 85 Serbs in Rahovec in July 1998, the kidnapping of nine miners in Belaçevc, the Lapušnik camp, killings and disappearances in the Gllogjani area and Lake Radoniq, as well as the Klečka case.

The Serbian president also mentioned other cases which, according to him, relate to killings, kidnappings and disappearances of Serbs in Dečan, Prizren, Peja, Klina, Gjakova, Vushtrri, Suharekë and Istog.

He also mentioned the killing of Hariton on June 15, 1999, the killing of Marica Mirić, the case in Doincë in Prizren, the killing of Serb children in the Bistrica river in Gorazhdec and the March 2004 riots.

“The verdicts show great hypocrisy – Serbs will always be criminals, while everyone else are liberators, heroes and brave men,” Vučić said, commenting on the court’s decision.

He described the verdict and the way, in his view, war crimes in the region are treated as an indication of “double standards”, stating that Serbs, in his view, continue to face different treatment.

Vučić also referred to the protests and reported incidents after the verdict was announced, saying he had seen attacks against EULEX in Pristina and against Dutch institutions in The Hague.

He said Serbs had not caused unrest and that, in his view, reactions toward them would have been harsher.

The Serbian president further emphasized the importance of preserving the memory of Serb victims, saying Serbia must continue to document and remember its own victims, alongside respecting the victims of other communities.

“Serbs must not remain silent and must not bow their heads,” Vučić said, using metaphorical language to describe what he considers pressure on Serbs.

“We should neither rejoice nor mourn the verdict”

Vučić said the Serb people have no reason to “neither rejoice nor mourn” the decision, but should wait and carefully analyze further developments.

He noted the possibility of appealing the decision and said there are further legal mechanisms within the system of the Specialist Chambers.

According to Vučić, should the verdict be confirmed on appeal, there might also be the possibility of further review of certain legal matters.

He argued that for this reason there should be no hasty reactions to the verdict announced today.

Vučić also referred to cases of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, mentioning the case of the former Croatian general Ante Gotovina and claiming that the reversal of an earlier decision was evidence of different standards in the treatment of war crimes.

He also mentioned the case of the former KLA member Nasim Haradinaj, as part of his argument about how different cases have been handled by international courts.

“The verdict did not include crimes against humanity”

Returning to the verdict announced in The Hague, Vučić said the six counts of crimes against humanity had been dismissed.

He mentioned the six categories of crimes-against-humanity charges: persecution, imprisonment, other inhumane acts, torture, murder and enforced disappearance.

According to him, the individual criminal responsibility of the four accused was established only for four categories of war crimes: unlawful or arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder.

Vučić said that, according to the verdict, individual responsibility relates to at least 385 persons for unlawful detention, 49 persons for cruel treatment, 303 persons for torture and 96 persons for murder.

These figures match the official announcement of the Specialist Chambers, which stated that the four accused were found responsible for the arbitrary detention of 385 persons, cruel treatment of 49 persons, torture of 303 persons and murder of 96 persons.

The court also stated that they were acquitted of crimes against humanity, as the Prosecution had not proven beyond reasonable doubt the existence of a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population.

Vučić: Peace and stability are the priority

Concluding his statement, Vučić said that for Serbia the main priority is preserving peace and stability.

He said that the fact that emotions remain strong even decades after the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia shows, in his view, that there are still unresolved issues in the region.

“The future must be in conversation, greater understanding and dialogue with everyone,” Vučić said.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague sentenced Hashim Thaçi to 25 years in prison, Jakup Krasniqi to 25 years, Kadri Veseli to 18 years and Rexhep Selimi to 13 years.

According to the court, all four were found responsible for war crimes, while they were acquitted of crimes against humanity.

The verdict announced today, September 16, is a first-instance decision.

The Specialist Chambers defined the case as a trial on individual criminal responsibility for crimes committed, according to the indictment, during the period from March 1998 to September 1999.