Kosovo ex-president sentenced to 25 years for war crimes
The Specialist Chambers of Kosovo in The Hague found former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci guilty of war crimes committed during the 1998–1999 conflict and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.
The verdict was announced on September 16. Three other former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army were tried alongside Thaci — Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi. All four were convicted of unlawful and arbitrary detentions, cruel treatment, torture, and murder.
The court found them criminally responsible for the arbitrary detention of 385 people, cruel treatment of 49 people, torture of 303 prisoners, and murder of 96 people. The victims included people considered opponents of the political or military goals of the Kosovo Liberation Army, including Kosovo Albanians suspected of ties to rival political and military structures, as well as members of the Serb and Roma minorities.
Thaci received 25 years in prison. Kadri Veseli was sentenced to 18 years, Rexhep Selimi to 13 years, and Jakup Krasniqi also to 25 years. The time already spent in custody will be credited toward each of their sentences.
At the same time, the court acquitted all four defendants on six counts of crimes against humanity. The judges concluded that the prosecution failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the existence of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population, which is required for such charges. The defendants were also acquitted of some individual episodes of war crimes.
The charges covered events from March 1998 to September 1999 in various areas of Kosovo, as well as in Kukes and Cahan in northern Albania. According to the prosecution, crimes were committed against civilians and people not taking part in hostilities who were considered opponents of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
Hashim Thaci was one of the political leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army during the war. After the conflict, he became one of the country's most influential politicians, serving as prime minister and later president of Kosovo.
Thaci resigned as president in November 2020 after the indictment was confirmed and was transferred to the detention facility of the Specialist Chambers in The Hague. The other defendants had been there since November 2020 as well.
The trial began in April 2023. The prosecution finished presenting its evidence in April 2025, after which victims’ and defense lawyers presented their cases. The hearing of evidence concluded in December 2025, and closing arguments were held in February 2026.
The scope of the trial was significant: the court received evidence from approximately 270 witnesses in oral and written form, admitted over 5,400 exhibits, and the trial transcript exceeded 29,000 pages.
Thaci denied the charges throughout the process. The first-instance verdict may be appealed.
The Specialist Chambers of Kosovo operate under Kosovo law but are located in The Hague. They were established to hear charges of serious crimes related to the Kosovo conflict and the activities of former members of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
Based on: Specialist Chambers of Kosovo, case materials
