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

Former President of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci leaves the Specialist Prosecutors Office building after a second day of a hearing with international war crimes prosecutors on July 14, 2020 in The Hague, Netherlands [File: Pierre Crom/Getty Images]. The Kosovo war crimes tribunal has delivered a conviction against former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on four counts of war crimes connected to the country’s war for independence from Serbia.

Thaci, 58, received a 25-year prison sentence on Wednesday for offenses that include murder, torture, and illegal detention. These acts were carried out while he served as the top commander of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the territory’s violent break from Serbia in the 1990s.

According to the tribunal, he bears guilt for the murder of 96 political opponents and perceived collaborators with Serbian security forces, committed by KLA forces throughout the conflict. Thaci continues to deny all charges brought against him. Dressed in a suit and tie, Thaci maintained silence while Presiding Judge Charles Smith announced the sentence. More to come…