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

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has been convicted of war crimes including murder, torture and illegal detention and sentenced to 25 years in prison by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

The 58-year-old former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander was found responsible for crimes committed during the 1998–99 conflict, when Kosovo's ethnic Albanian forces fought to break away from Serbian rule.

The court said Thaci was guilty of crimes involving the murder of 96 people regarded as political opponents or alleged collaborators with Serbian security forces.

He was also convicted over the arbitrary detention of 385 people, torture of 303 people and cruel treatment of 49 people.

According to the court, none of the victims were actively participating in hostilities when the crimes were committed.

Court Finds Thaci Participated in Common Criminal Plan

Presiding Judge Charles Smith said Thaci had actively participated in and encouraged the crimes as part of a joint criminal enterprise involving a common plan.

“The plan was as simple as it was harmful,” Smith said, describing an alleged strategy that involved establishing detention facilities in areas controlled by the KLA, identifying people considered opponents and arresting and detaining them, with some ultimately killed.

The court said detainees were held in inhumane conditions, subjected to beatings and kept in cramped cells without adequate food or medical care.

Thaci, who stood silently as the verdict and sentence were read, had denied all charges.

He retains the right to appeal the conviction and sentence.

Supporters Gather in Kosovo and The Hague

The verdict has been closely followed in both Kosovo and Serbia, where the legacy of the 1998–99 conflict and Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence continue to shape relations between ethnic Albanians and Serbs.

Thaci remains a prominent and revered figure among many Kosovo Albanians, while the tribunal has faced significant opposition within Kosovo.

In The Hague, several hundred supporters gathered to follow the proceedings through an audio livestream. Brief clashes broke out after demonstrators attempted to march towards the tribunal.

In Pristina, Kosovo's capital, hundreds of people marched through the city following the verdict, while riot police were deployed at several locations.

“This verdict is shameful. From today, there will be no peace in Kosovo,” said Raif Pllana, a former KLA fighter who demonstrated in support of Thaci.

Police said preparations had been made in coordination with international peacekeeping forces in case demonstrations became violent. The United States also advised its citizens to avoid large crowds.

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama criticised the verdict in a social media post, sharing an image of Europe surrounded by barbed wire alongside the word “Unbelievable”.

Prosecutors Had Sought 45-Year Sentence

Prosecutors had requested a 45-year prison sentence for Thaci and three other former senior KLA commanders.

However, the three-judge panel dismissed six charges of crimes against humanity, finding that prosecutors had not sufficiently established that those offences formed part of widespread or systematic attacks against the civilian population as a whole.

Thaci's lawyers had rejected the allegations, arguing that the charges were unfounded and amounted to an attempt to rewrite the history of Kosovo's conflict.

Tribunal Established to Prosecute Alleged KLA Crimes

The Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers was established in 2015 following international pressure to investigate and prosecute alleged crimes committed by former KLA members during and after the Kosovo conflict.

The tribunal's proceedings have been conducted against a backdrop of serious concerns over witness protection.

Judges noted during Wednesday's proceedings that witnesses had faced intimidation, while some witnesses had previously recanted statements, provided false testimony or altered earlier accounts.

The conviction marks a major development in the long-running effort to establish legal accountability for alleged crimes committed during the Kosovo conflict.