Former prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Geoffrey Nice, has described as unusual the request by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office for 45-year prison sentences for four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

According to KosovoPress, Nice stated that he had not anticipated that after the conclusion of the ICTY’s work, a new court would be established to investigate war crimes—especially one focused on a single group.

Nice, who served as lead prosecutor in the case against Slobodan Milošević, said that requests for such high sentences are unusual compared to previous practices. According to him, the charges against the accused do not appear to be at the same level as in some earlier Tribunal cases, where lower sentences were imposed.

He also addressed the origins of the allegations, referring to the report drafted by Dick Marty, which raised claims about the involvement of Hashim Thaçi and others in serious crimes during and after the war.

At the Specialist Chambers, several former KLA members are currently on trial, including Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi. Meanwhile, Pjetër Shala has been sentenced to 13 years in prison, while Salih Mustafa received a 15-year sentence.