Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi has been sentenced to 25 years in prison after the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague found him guilty of war crimes committed during the 1998–99 Kosovo conflict.
Thaçi, 58, was convicted of murder, torture, cruel treatment and arbitrary detention in connection with his role as a senior commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the war.
According to the tribunal’s findings, Thaçi was criminally responsible for the killing of 96 people regarded as political opponents or collaborators with Serbian security forces. The court also found him responsible for the unlawful detention of 385 people, the torture of 303 and the cruel treatment of 49 others.
Presiding Judge Charles Smith said Thaçi had actively participated in and encouraged the crimes, describing the scale and nature of the offences as very serious.
The court found that some victims were detained or targeted based on unverified allegations that they were spies or collaborators, with some subsequently subjected to violent treatment.
Thaçi, who has consistently denied the charges, stood silently as the judgment and sentence were read.
He was tried alongside three other former senior KLA commanders — Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi — who also faced charges arising from the conflict. The court convicted all four defendants of war crimes, while several crimes-against-humanity charges were dismissed for insufficient evidence.
Prosecutors had sought a sentence of up to 45 years for Thaçi and the other defendants.
During his closing statement in February, Thaçi maintained his innocence, saying his actions throughout his life had been guided by what he described as democratic values, equality and justice.
The verdict follows a trial that began in April 2023 and concluded with closing statements in February 2026. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers said 134 witnesses testified during the proceedings.
The case has attracted intense attention in Kosovo and Serbia because of the continuing political and historical divisions surrounding the 1998–99 war and Kosovo’s declaration of independence in 2008.
Thaçi remains a prominent and revered figure among many Kosovo Albanians, while the tribunal has faced opposition from sections of the public in Kosovo.
Thousands of supporters gathered in Pristina ahead of the verdict, waving Albanian flags and calling for Thaçi and the other former KLA commanders to be acquitted.
The verdict was also met with emotional reactions among supporters watching the proceedings on large screens in the Kosovo capital, with some chanting Thaçi’s name and others seen in tears.
