Mitrovica residents hope for convictions in The Hague, but lost faith in justice in Kosovo long ago

A day before the judgment is delivered against Hashim Thaci and three other former KLA leaders in The Hague, residents of North Mitrovica say they expect convictions, but acknowledge that acquittals would not surprise them either, as they say they lost faith in justice in Kosovo long ago.

Most Mitrovica residents are reluctant to discuss the issue.

They say they lost faith in justice in Kosovo long ago.

“I don’t know anything about that. The politicians know best. They know,” residents said.

One woman from North Mitrovica believes that the former KLA leaders should be convicted, although she does not expect such an outcome.

“They should be convicted, but I doubt they will be,” she said.

There is also a widespread view that Thaci and the others will receive sentences roughly equivalent to the time they have already spent in detention and that, following appeals, even those sentences could subsequently be overturned.

“I think they will sentence them to around six years, roughly the amount of time they have already spent in detention, just to cover that period. I don’t expect any unrest. That is just my opinion. I think that is what will happen, and then at second instance, on appeal, they may even clear them completely of responsibility for those six years,” one resident told the Kosovo Online team.

Another resident did not rule out the possibility of unrest if the judgment resulted in convictions.

“Well, if the Court acts fairly, they will be convicted. If it acts the way it usually does, they will be released. It was all done that way with Bosnia and Croatia. There will be unrest, but everything will be all right,” he said.

A resident of South Mitrovica whom the Kosovo Online team encountered while he was walking through the northern part of the city said there was no reason for unrest because the decision rested with the Specialist Chambers and citizens would accept it.

“Why should there be unrest? The Hague decides; it is not up to us,” he said.

A pensioner from North Mitrovica, however, did not rule out even the worst-case scenario—the possibility of violence directed against Serbs if the judgment resulted in convictions.