Hague Court Sentences Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi to 25 Years in Prison

Hague Court Sentences Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi to 25 Years in Prison
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The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague have sentenced former Kosovo President and former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander Hashim Thaçi to 25 years in prison for war crimes committed during the 1998–1999 Kosovo conflict.

The court found the 58-year-old Thaçi guilty of four war crimes charges, including murder, torture, cruel treatment, and unlawful detention. According to the verdict, he bears criminal responsibility for crimes committed by forces under his command during the conflict with Serbian forces.

The court said the case examined allegations involving 96 killings, the unlawful detention of 385 people, torture of 303 individuals, and inhumane treatment of approximately 49 others. The victims included political opponents and people accused by KLA members of cooperating with Serbian authorities.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers also ruled that charges related to crimes against humanity were not proven and dismissed six related counts.

Thaçi, who resigned as Kosovo’s president in 2020 after war crimes charges were announced, has consistently denied all allegations. He has the right to appeal the verdict.

The ruling received mixed reactions in Kosovo and Serbia. Some of Thaçi’s supporters described the decision as unfair, while some critics in Serbia called for harsher punishment.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers was established in 2015 with support from the European Union to investigate allegations of war crimes and post-war crimes involving former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army.