Former Kosovo President Thaci Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci during hearings in The HaguePhoto: Jerry Lampen/ANP/picture-alliance Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for war crimes. On Wednesday, September 16, the special tribunal investigating war crimes in Kosovo found him guilty, in particular, of "unlawful detentions, torture, murders, and inhumane treatment." The tribunal in The Hague found proven the responsibility of 58-year-old Thaci for 96 political murders and other serious crimes such as torture and persecution. ## ## Prosecution Demanded a 45-Year Sentence for Thaci The prosecution urged the special tribunal to sentence Thaci and three other defendants - former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) - to 45 years of imprisonment for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Kosovo war. None of the defendants pleaded guilty. During the court hearings, which took place since 2023, nearly 300 witnesses testified, and 155 victims participated in the proceedings. Hashim Thaci appeared before the special tribunal in The Hague in 2020 on charges of war crimes during the war for the region's independence from Serbia in 1998-1999. As a result of the actions of the Kosovo Liberation Army during this period, hundreds of Kosovo Albanians, Serbs, Roma, and representatives of other nationalities, as well as political opponents of the aforementioned individuals, suffered. ## ## Hashim Thaci - One of the Founders of the Kosovo Liberation Army Thaci was one of the founders of the KLA, and from 2000 to 2016, he was the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (DPK), previously the political wing of the KLA. From 2008 to 2014, Thaci served as the Prime Minister of the republic, then headed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in early 2016 was elected President of Kosovo. In November 2020, shortly after being charged in The Hague, he resigned. He was subsequently arrested and brought to trial. As a result of the Kosovo war, more than 10,000 people died, and 1,641 people are still listed as missing. The armed conflict ended after NATO airstrikes on Serbia that lasted 78 days. Subsequently, Kosovo separated from Serbia and unilaterally declared independence from Belgrade in 2008. Serbia still blocks its full international recognition with the support of Russia and China.