Kosovo’s Thaçi Gets 25 Years for War Crimes

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of war crimes committed during Kosovo’s 1998–1999 war for independence from Serbia.

The 58-year-old former commander of the ethnic-Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) was convicted by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague of murder, torture, cruel treatment and arbitrary detention.

Prosecutors accused Thaçi and other KLA leaders of targeting political opponents and civilians perceived as collaborators or traitors during the conflict. The court found Thaçi criminally responsible for crimes committed by KLA members.

Thaçi, who resigned as Kosovo’s president in 2020 to face the charges, has denied wrongdoing.

(Reuters, sak)