Hashim Thaci, the former president of Kosovo, has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. A special tribunal in The Hague found him guilty on Wednesday of war crimes committed during the Kosovo War. Thaci had stepped down from his office nearly six years ago to face the allegations.
Thaci was one of four former high-ranking commanders of the ethnic-Albanian Liberation Army of Kosovo (UCK) who stood trial. They fought against Serbian forces during the 1998-1999 conflict. The men were charged with various war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, and persecution. In their home country, these four men are generally considered national heroes.
The prosecution in The Hague had originally sought a maximum sentence of 45 years for Thaci and the other defendants, all of whom denied the charges.
Thaci, who served as Kosovo’s first Prime Minister since its declaration of independence from 2008 to 2014, and later as President from April 2016 to November 2020, was accused of being responsible for approximately 100 murders of Kosovo-Albanians, Serbs, Roma, and members of other ethnic groups, as well as political opponents.
In Pristina, thousands gathered on Wednesday to show their support for the accused. The central square in the capital was filled with crowds, many waving flags.
