Hashim Thaci sentenced to 25 years in prison after a Kosovo tribunal found the former president guilty of war crimes linked to the 1990s conflict.
Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for war crimes committed during the country’s struggle for independence from Serbia.
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague delivered the verdict on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The court found Thaci guilty of murder, torture, cruel treatment and arbitrary detention.
The 58-year-old former leader served as a senior commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the 1998–1999 war. He denied all the charges against him.
Hashim Thaci sentenced alongside former KLA commanders
Hashim Thaci was tried alongside three other former senior KLA figures.
They included Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi and Kadri Veseli. The tribunal also found the three men guilty of war crimes connected to the conflict.
Krasniqi received a 25-year prison sentence. Meanwhile, Veseli was sentenced to 18 years, while Selimi received 13 years.
According to the court, the four men bore criminal responsibility for the arbitrary detention and torture of hundreds of people. The judges also linked them to 96 murders during the conflict.
However, the tribunal acquitted the defendants of crimes against humanity charges.
The court said the former commanders had contributed significantly to a common criminal purpose. That purpose involved targeting people viewed as opponents of the KLA’s political and military objectives.
Court explains its war crimes ruling
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers said the crimes involved unlawful arrests, torture, cruel treatment and killings.
Prosecutors argued that KLA forces targeted political opponents and people suspected of cooperating with Serbian security forces.
The court’s findings covered crimes committed in Kosovo and neighbouring Albania, where the KLA operated detention facilities.
The tribunal also examined allegations involving Serb, Albanian and Roma civilians during and shortly after the war.
However, the judges distinguished between individual criminal responsibility and Kosovo’s broader struggle for independence.
The Kosovo war claimed approximately 13,000 lives. The conflict ended after NATO intervened with an air campaign against Serbian forces in 1999.
Former Kosovo president rejects allegations
Hashim Thaci has consistently denied the charges against him.
His lawyers argued that the KLA lacked a strict command structure. They maintained that senior leaders could not automatically be held responsible for crimes committed by individual fighters.
Thaci resigned as Kosovo’s president in 2020 after prosecutors indicted him. He subsequently surrendered to the tribunal in The Hague.
He had remained in detention while the trial continued. His time in custody will count towards his prison sentence.
Verdict sparks anger in Kosovo
The sentencing has generated strong reactions in Kosovo, where Thaci remains a prominent figure in the country’s independence history.
Many Kosovo Albanians regard him and the KLA as symbols of their struggle against Serbian rule.
Large crowds gathered in Pristina to watch the verdict on public screens. Some supporters expressed shock when the court confirmed his conviction.
Kosovo Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca described the judgment as “sad, unjust, undeserved” and criticised the decision.
The tribunal has faced criticism in Kosovo since its establishment. Some critics question its use of evidence supplied by Serbia, which does not recognise Kosovo’s independence.
The court, however, was established under Kosovo law to prosecute alleged crimes committed by KLA members during the war.
Hashim Thaci’s political legacy
Before his conviction, Hashim Thaci played a major role in Kosovo’s political development.
He became a prominent figure during the independence struggle and later served as prime minister and president.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, following years of conflict and international involvement.
Thaci was among the political figures associated with the country’s journey towards statehood.
Despite his conviction, the tribunal stressed that the case concerned the alleged criminal actions of individuals rather than the legitimacy of Kosovo’s independence movement.
The ruling marks a significant development in the long-running effort to address alleged wartime abuses.
Thaci and the other convicted former KLA commanders may challenge the verdict through the appeals process.
Source: ModernGhana
