NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the Alliance's commitment to maintaining peace and security in Kosovo will remain unchanged, despite possible developments regarding the verdict against four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague will announce the verdict against former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, former parliamentarians Jakup Krasniqi and Kadri Veseli, and former MP Rexhep Selimi, in the case for war crimes and crimes against humanity on September 16. The four have pleaded not guilty to ten counts of the indictment.
According to Rutte, KFOR is there, in Kosovo, to ensure that NATO contributes to stability and peace, while the Alliance's peacekeeping mission, according to him, has contributed for more than two decades to the creation of a secure and stable environment in Kosovo.
“This applies today, regardless of what news may come this week or in the coming period, but also in terms of the long-term commitment to peace and security in Kosovo,” Rutte said at a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels on September 14, when asked if he was concerned about possible violent unrest in Kosovo and the region as a result of the decision, regardless of what it will be.
The NATO chief said the Western military alliance would continue to assess the composition and deployment of KFOR troops to ensure the mission is adequately adapted to the security situation in Kosovo. He also stressed that developments in Kosovo also affect the wider region.
The NATO chief's statements come a few hours after the US Embassy in Pristina called on American citizens to avoid traveling near places where, as it said, protests have been announced on September 16.
The embassy said that several organizations are planning large demonstrations on September 16 in downtown Pristina and other major cities in Kosovo.
"These demonstrations may cause large gatherings of people, road closures, and traffic disruptions," the Embassy said, instructing US citizens to limit their movements in these areas.
Meanwhile, the Kosovo Police, as the first security responder, said that it has also held a meeting with international partners, such as KFOR, EULEX, the US Embassy, the European Union Office and the OSCE, where a plan and the Police's commitments regarding developments related to September 16 were presented.
"The Kosovo Police, according to official duty and applicable legislation, will provide security to all citizens without distinction, and will engage with police units, so that the progress of all activities and possible developments pass peacefully and without incidents," the Police said.
According to this institution, depending on the activity and possible developments, there may be restrictions or temporary interruptions of traffic on the roads affected by the activities, "therefore, the Kosovo Police has also foreseen the engagement of traffic patrol police units, in case of the need to reorient traffic to alternative roads", calling on citizens to contribute to ensuring that everything takes place peacefully.
The announcement of the verdict in The Hague will take place just four days after thousands of people in Pristina participated in the "March for Freedom", where participants demanded that the decision be fair and impartial.
The Specialist Prosecutor's Office in The Hague claims that four former KLA superiors bear criminal responsibility for crimes committed in Kosovo and northern Albania during the war.
The indictment against them includes six counts of crimes against humanity and four of war crimes, and the Prosecution has requested 45 years in prison for each defendant.
The four former KLA leaders were arrested in November 2020 and transferred to the Specialist Chambers detention center in The Hague. The trial began on April 3, 2023.
The September 16 verdict is expected to be one of the most important decisions of the Specialist Chambers, established in 2015 to try cases related to alleged crimes committed by KLA members during and after the 1998-1999 war.
