Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci Sentenced to 25 Years for War Crimes

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after being convicted of war crimes committed during Kosovo’s 1998–1999 war for independence from Serbia.

Thaci, 58, was found guilty by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) in The Hague, Netherlands, of four counts of war crimes, including murder, torture and unlawful detention.

Prosecutors accused Thaci of involvement in crimes committed while he served as a senior commander of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), which fought Serbian forces during the conflict.

The court said Thaci was guilty in connection with the murder of 96 political opponents and people accused of collaborating with Serbian security forces during the war.

Thaci has denied all the charges against him.
He stood silently in court wearing a suit and tie as Presiding Judge Charles Smith read the sentence.

Three other former senior KLA commanders were also convicted and sentenced. Jakup Krasniqi received a 25-year prison term, while Kadri Veseli was sentenced to 18 years, including time already spent in detention.

Rexhep Selimi received a 13-year sentence, also counting time spent in custody.

However, the four men were acquitted of six charges relating to crimes against humanity.

The judges ruled that prosecutors had failed to prove beyond the required standard that the alleged crimes formed part of a widespread and systematic attack against civilians.

Before announcing the sentences, Judge Smith referred to the killings and severe torture allegedly carried out by KLA members during the conflict.

The verdict has generated strong reactions in Kosovo, where Thaci and the KLA remain highly regarded by many ethnic Albanians because of their role in the struggle for independence from Serbia.

In the capital, Pristina, thousands of people gathered to watch the proceedings on a large public screen.

Many reacted with shock after the sentences were announced, while some protesters chanted slogans in support of Thaci and the KLA.

The case has remained deeply controversial in Kosovo, where the 1998–1999 war and the KLA’s role in the territory’s eventual declaration of independence continue to shape public and political debate.

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