THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Prosecutors said on Monday there is “overwhelming evidence” that Kosovo’s former president and three other defendants are guilty of the murder and torture of people they considered traitors during the country’s war for independence.
Hashim Thaci resigned from office in 2020 to defend himself against the 10 charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during his country’s 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia at a tribunal in The Hague.
Prosecutor Kimberly West told judges that witnesses and victims “so yearned for the truth to come out” that they were willing to risk a “climate of intimidation” to testify at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which is based in the Netherlands but is part of Kosovo’s legal system.
The staff at the European Union-backed court are largely international due to fears about witness safety and security. In 2022, the court convicted two leaders of a Kosovo war veterans’ association for intimidating witnesses by publicizing leaked confidential documents.
A second trial for Thaci for intimidating witnesses will begin later this month.
Those who testified provided “overwhelming evidence” that Thaci and his fellow accused, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniq, pursued a policy of targeting political opponents and civilians perceived as collaborators and traitors as commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
Each is charged with offenses including murder, torture and persecution allegedly committed across Kosovo and northern Albania from 1998 to September 1999, during and after the war.
Prosecutors have asked for a 45-year sentence for all four men.
“I am fully not guilty,” Thaci, who went by the nickname The Snake during the war, said when the trial opened in 2023. The other three defendants also repeated not guilty pleas made at earlier pretrial hearings.
Thaci was a student who came out of what he described as political exile in Switzerland to join Kosovo’s struggle for independence from Serbia. He was embraced by Western leaders, who invited him to 1999 peace talks in France in his role as political director of the Kosovo Liberation Army, and was seen as a leader who could guide the country toward independence.
Many Kosovars consider the court an injustice and view it as an attempt to rewrite their history, saying it’s trying to equalize Serbia’s genocide to their suffering.
Most of the 13,000 people who died in the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo were ethnic Albanians. A 78-day campaign of NATO airstrikes against Serbian forces ended the fighting. About 1 million ethnic Albanian Kosovars were driven from their homes.
FILE - Former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci, left, appears before the Kosovo Tribunal in the Hague, on April 3, 2023. (Koen van Weel/Pool Photo via AP, File)
MILAN (AP) — On the same day Amber Glenn won Olympic gold as part of the team event, and stepped away from social media due to backlash over her comments on politics and the LGBTQ+ community, the American figure skater ended up with another headache.
Canadian artist Seb McKinnon, who produces music under the name CLANN, took to social media late Sunday to object to the use of his song “The Return,” which Glenn had used in her free skate — and has been using for the past two years without issue.
“So just found out an Olympic figure skater used one of my songs without permission for their routine. It aired all over the world ... what? Is that usual practice for the Olympics?” McKinnon posted to X, shortly after the team competition had ended.
Figure skaters are required to obtain permission for the music they use, but that process is hardly straightforward.
Sometimes the label or record producer owns the copyright, other times the artist themselves, and often there are multiple parties involved. Skaters sometimes will piece together different cuts of music, too. Throw in third-party companies such as ClicknClear that try to smooth out the permission process, and the entire copyright issue becomes murky and nuanced.
According to McKinnon, “The deal I have with my label is that I alone can give the OK to license my music.”
Glenn was not available for comment on the music issue early Monday. She planned to take the day off from training and then leave Milan to practice elsewhere ahead of the individual women's event, which begins Feb. 17 with the short program.
Messages left by The Associated Press with U.S. Figure Skating about Glenn's copyright problem were not immediately returned.
The issue is not the first bit of controversy involving Glenn at the Milan Cortina Games.
The outspoken LGBTQ+ rights activist said she received threats on social media after saying during a pre-Olympics press conference that the queer community is going through a “hard time” amid the political climate under President Donald Trump.
“I was disappointed because I’ve never had so many people wish me harm before, just for being me and speaking about being decent — human rights and decency,” Glenn said Sunday night, wearing an LGBTQ+ pin on her team jacket during the team medal ceremony.
“So that was really disappointing,” Glenn said, “and I do think it kind of lowered that excitement for this.”
Copyrights never used to be a problem in figure skating because the International Skating Union barred any music involving vocals, and most classical music is considered public domain. But when those rules were relaxed in 2014, and modern music began to be used, artists soon demanded that they receive compensation for their work.
It all came to a head at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, when one of the indie artists who covered “House of the Rising Sun” objected to its use by American pairs skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier. The ensuing lawsuit prompted the ISU to step in and try to develop systems that would help skaters avoid copyright infringement claims.
“It's never been an issue and then suddenly it is, and I don't understand why," Glenn told the AP ahead of the Winter Games. "I understand there was a big upset at the last Olympics because some artist — I’m sorry, they decided to be (jerks). Like, they couldn’t just appreciate this Olympic team competing? It wasn’t even their song to begin with; it was a cover.
“It’s not like we’re a TV show and playing music in the background for an emotional scene. It just feels like a cash grab for different companies, and it’s really upsetting that they can’t just appreciate that their music has inspired something creative.”
Justin Dillon, the director of high performance for U.S. Figure Skating, said the governing body has tried to help its skaters avoid any copyright claims. It is unclear whether the organization played any role in getting Glenn's music approved.
Numerous fans and even fellow skaters have been quick to rush to the American's defense.
“I’d be so honored that someone wants to skate to my music and give the music some amazing exposure,” said retired Canadian pairs skater Meagan Duhamel, a two-time Olympian and three-time medalist. "I used a piece of music for the 2018 Olympics and the artist was so excited she flew to the Olympics to listen and watch it live.”
After Nathan Chen won gold at the Beijing Games with a free skate set to “Rocket Man,” Elton John effusively praised the American for his performance. Chen later collaborated with the musical legend for a music video to a version of “Hold Me Closer.”
“We really rely on our music,” said Alysa Liu, part of the gold medal-winning U.S. team. "Without music, we’re not really our sport.”
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Amber Glenn of the United States reacts to her scores after competing during the figure skating women's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Amber Glenn of the United States competes during the figure skating women's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Amber Glenn of the United States competes during the figure skating women's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Amber Glenn of the United States competes during the figure skating women's team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Team USA's Amber Glenn celebrates with her gold medal after the figure skating team event at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
