International Tribunal Sentences Kosovo Ex-President Thaci to 25 Years for War Crimes
Photo: Collected
Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has been sentenced to 25 years in prison by a special international tribunal for war crimes, torture, and unlawful detention committed during the late 1990s independence struggle against Serbia.
The verdict was delivered on Wednesday by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers located in the Netherlands city of The Hague. Presiding Judge Charles Smith read the ruling as 58-year-old Thaci stood silently in the courtroom. Thaci has consistently denied all charges brought against him since the proceedings began.
According to the court ruling, during the bloody 1998-1999 conflict, Thaci acted as a top political and military commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army. He was directly linked to the torture, unlawful detention, and murder of political rivals and suspected collaborators with Serbian forces. He was convicted of responsibility for the killings of at least 96 political opponents and civilians perpetrated by Kosovo Liberation Army forces during the war.
In the high-profile case, three other top former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army also received prison terms. Former commander Jakup Krasniqi was sentenced to 25 years, Kadri Veseli to 18 years, and Rexhep Selimi to 13 years in prison. However, judges noted that the prosecution failed to sufficiently prove six other charges of crimes against humanity, leading to the acquittal of the defendants on those specific counts. The convicted individuals retain the right to appeal the verdict in a higher court.
The ruling has triggered intense political tension and sharp reactions across Kosovo and neighboring regions. The majority ethnic Albanian population in Kosovo views Thaci and the Kosovo Liberation Army as independence heroes. Following the verdict, thousands of people took to the streets in the capital city of Pristina to protest and reject the decision.
Kosovo Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca described the ruling as dreadful and extremely damaging to Kosovo. Meanwhile, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama expressed outrage on social media by posting a photo from The Hague alongside the Albanian word for shame.
Conversely, Serbia welcomed the verdict. Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Dacic stated that the ruling proves the Kosovo Liberation Army was a criminal organization, adding that no country can be built upon mass graves of murdered Serbs.
Following Kosovo's independence, Thaci served as prime minister, foreign minister, and subsequently as president from 2016 until 2020. He resigned and surrendered to The Hague in 2020 immediately after being indicted by the international court.
