A European Union-backed tribunal in The Hague convicted former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci of war crimes on Wednesday, sentencing him to 25 years in prison for murder, torture, and illegal detention committed during the territory’s late-1990s war for independence from Serbia.
Thaci, 58, stood in silence in a suit and tie as Presiding Judge Charles Smith delivered the verdict at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. The tribunal found Thaci guilty of four counts of war crimes connected to his role as a top commander in the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army during the violent 1998–1999 conflict. Prosecutors had pushed for a maximum 45-year prison term, but the panel ultimately handed down a 25-year sentence after convicting him on multiple counts.
The Charges, Convictions, and Court Findings
The court convicted Thaci of specific violations tied to a common criminal purpose
aimed at consolidating control by eliminating perceived opponents. According to the tribunal’s findings, the KLA arbitrarily detained at least 385 people in facilities across Kosovo and northern Albania.
Judges ruled that Thaci was directly responsible for the murder of 96 political opponents and individuals suspected of collaborating with Serbian security forces. The panel acquitted the defendants on six separate charges of crimes against humanity because prosecutors failed to prove the actions formed part of a widespread and systematic attack against civilians.
Alongside Thaci, three other senior KLA commanders faced judgment. Jakup Krasniqi received a 25-year prison sentence, Kadri Veseli was given 18 years including time served, and Rexhep Selimi was sentenced to 13 years including time served. All four men maintained their innocence throughout the nearly three-year trial.
Reactions in Pristina and Diplomatic Fallout
The judgment triggered immediate outrage in Kosovo, where Thaci and the KLA remain revered as symbols of national liberation. Thousands of citizens gathered in Pristina’s central square to watch the proceedings broadcast live on giant screens. Many expressed shock and anger at the severity of the sentences, chanting slogans in support of the KLA, as reported by regional monitors.
Political leaders in Kosovo forcefully condemned the decision. Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the outcome an unacceptable injustice, maintaining that Our war was just, a war of liberation,
in statements ahead of the verdict. Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca labeled the ruling a terrible judgment for the country’s history.
Across the border, Serbian officials offered a sharply contrasting view. Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Ivica Dačić described the convictions as belated validation of long-standing claims regarding the nature of the KLA, according to broadcast coverage.
From Guerrilla Commander to Head of State
The verdict marks a dramatic fall for a political figure who spent decades at the center of his nation’s modern history. Rising from a student who returned from political exile in Switzerland, Thaci earned the moniker “the Snake” while helping direct KLA operations during the late 1990s. Western leaders later embraced him, inviting him to the 1999 peace talks in France.
After the conflict—which left roughly 13,000 people dead and displaced hundreds of thousands before NATO intervention halted the fighting—Thaci transitioned into mainstream politics. He served as prime minister and foreign minister, ultimately serving as president from 2016 to 2020. He held that office until November 2020, when he resigned upon receiving an international indictment from the Hague tribunal.
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