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A European Union-backed court in The Hague sentenced Kosovo's former president Hashim Thaci to 25 years in prison on Wednesday, September 16, for war crimes committed during the 1998-99 war for independence from Serbia. Judges at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers convicted Thaci, 58, on four counts: murder, torture, cruel treatment and arbitrary detention.
The tribunal found Thaci guilty over the murder of 96 political opponents and people the Kosovo Liberation Army saw as collaborators with Serbian security forces, Al Jazeera reported. He was the KLA's top commander during the conflict. He stood in silence as Presiding Judge Charles Smith read the sentence. Thaci denies all the charges, and both sides can appeal.
Three other former KLA leaders stood trial alongside him: Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi. All four denied the charges. Prosecutors had asked for sentences of up to 45 years. Thaci resigned the presidency nearly six years ago to face the court, and faces a separate trial on witness intimidation charges later this month.
The security picture around the verdict was flagged days in advance. The US Embassy in Pristina issued a demonstration alert on September 12, warning that several organizations were planning large protests in downtown Pristina and other major cities on the day of the ruling. The alert cited large crowds, road closures and severe traffic disruption. US government personnel were told to avoid unnecessary travel near the demonstrations and not to send children to school. The embassy stayed open with limited consular services.
Thousands had already rallied in Pristina over the preceding weekend in support of the four men, filling a central square with red and black Albanian flags. Portraits of the defendants were posted across the city beside a digital clock counting down to the verdict. The four are widely regarded as national heroes in Kosovo.
Witness safety has shadowed the court since it was set up. Its staff are largely international for that reason, and in 2022 it convicted two leaders of a Kosovo war veterans' association for intimidating witnesses by publishing leaked confidential documents. Kosovo sits at Level 2 on the State Department travel advisory scale, which calls for increased caution because of the risk of unrest and terrorism. Relations between Pristina and Belgrade remain tense despite years of EU-mediated talks.
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