Thaci receives 25-year war crimes sentence

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague convicted former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci of murder, torture, cruel treatment and arbitrary detention during the 1998–99 war, including crimes against political opponents and perceived collaborators. It sentenced him to 25 years and found four former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders responsible for a joint criminal enterprise.

• 25 yearsThaci’s prison sentence — Appeals remain available
• 96 peopleMurders covered by conviction — Political opponents and perceived collaborators
• 385 peopleArbitrarily detained, court found — During the Kosovo conflict
• 303 peopleTorture victims cited by court — Court’s conviction findings

Q1

Can the judgment be appealed?

Yes. Thaci and prosecutors can appeal; prosecutors had sought a longer sentence for him and the other defendants.

Q2

Why did judges hold Thaci responsible?

Presiding Judge Charles Smith stated that Thaci actively participated in and encouraged crimes, including by promoting people involved in them.

Q3

Why is the verdict contested in Kosovo?

For many Kosovo Albanians, Thaci remains revered for his role in the independence war, while defence lawyers disputed command responsibility.

Q4

What public reaction followed?

Thousands watched in Pristina and booed the verdict; some supporters near the Hague courthouse briefly clashed with Dutch police.