Kosovo war crimes court sentences former president Hashim Thaçi to 25 years in prison

Verdict delivered in The Hague

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague sentenced former Kosovo president Hashim Thaçi to 25 years in prison on Wednesday following a three-year trial. Thaçi, 58, listened in silence as Presiding Judge Charles L. Smith III read out the first-instance judgment. The European-backed court tried Thaçi alongside three other former senior commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), finding all four criminally responsible for war crimes committed during the 1998–1999 conflict against Serbian forces. Thaçi had served as prime minister when Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and later as president, before resigning nearly six years ago to face the charges. Protesters and supporters gathered outside the tribunal building under heavy Dutch police security, while crowds in Pristina followed the live broadcast.

This case is not concerned with weighing the responsibilities of one side against those of the other.

Findings on command and victims

During the proceedings, the panel heard and reviewed evidence from 273 witnesses alongside statements from 156 participating victims. The judges determined that Thaçi, who directed the political branch of the KLA general staff, actively participated in and encouraged crimes using his authority. The acts targeted political rivals from competing Kosovo Albanian factions, individuals accused of collaboration with Serbian authorities, and members of ethnic minorities including Serbs and Roma. The defense did not deny that atrocities occurred during the war, but argued that Thaçi lacked operational command over local guerrilla units. The court rejected that defense, finding that the accused operated within a coordinated command structure that carried out abuses.

The so-called intelligence on which many of these victims were arrested, detained and killed was little more than unverified rumours.

Convictions, acquittals, and prison terms

The trial panel convicted the four men of war crimes involving the arbitrary detention of 385 people, torture of 303 individuals, the murder of 96 victims, and cruel treatment of 49. All four defendants were acquitted of crimes against humanity after the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that a widespread or systematic attack on civilians took place. Specialist prosecutors had originally requested maximum sentences of 45 years for each defendant. The judges handed a 25-year term to former KLA spokesman Jakup Krasniqi, while Kadri Veseli received 18 years and Rexhep Selimi received 13 years in prison.

Political fallout and pending proceedings

In Pristina, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti described the outcome as an unacceptable injustice and called for the ruling to be overturned on appeal. Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca stated that the decision would inflict serious damage on Kosovo, while Interim President Albulena Haxhiu characterized the sentence as shocking news for the republic. European Union Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos defended the tribunal as an independent and impartial judicial institution whose rulings must be respected. Thaçi is scheduled to face a separate trial in The Hague on witness intimidation charges later this month, while his legal team prepares an appeal against the war crimes verdict.