The Hague court sentences Thaçi to 25 years for Kosovo war crimes

Kosovo’s former President Hashim Thaçi sentenced to 25 years for war crimes

Kosovo’s former President Hashim Thaçi was sentenced to 25 years in prison for war crimes by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. In the same case, Jakup Krasniqi was sentenced to 25 years, Kadri Veseli to 18 years and Rexhep Selimi to 13 years in prison.

Scraper SystemSeptember 16, 2026, 05:32 PM

Kosovo’s former President Hashim Thaçi sentenced to 25 years for war crimes

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague sentenced Kosovo’s former President Hashim Thaçi to 25 years in prison for war crimes.

The ruling announced on Wednesday also covered former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi. Krasniqi received a 25-year prison sentence, Veseli an 18-year sentence and Selimi a 13-year sentence.

Defendants convicted of war crimes

Thaçi and the other former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders were convicted of war crimes including deprivation of liberty, mistreatment, torture and intentional killing. The defendants had been held in custody in The Hague throughout the trial.

The prosecution had sought 45-year prison sentences for each defendant.

Ruling watched from public squares in Kosovo

Thousands of people watched the verdict hearing on giant screens in public squares in the capital, Pristina, and other cities across Kosovo. Crowds were deeply saddened after the ruling was announced.

Thaçi’s second trial continues

A second case against Thaçi, involving allegations of witness intimidation, is ongoing in The Hague. Dozens of former Kosovo Liberation Army members have been summoned to testify since the beginning of 2019.

The first indictment against the former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders was confirmed on October 26, 2020. The trial of the defendants began on April 3, 2023. The indictment holds the defendants responsible for the deaths of approximately 100 people and accuses them of war crimes including killing, forcible displacement and torture.

The Kosovo War and independence

The 1998–1999 Kosovo War ended with NATO’s ground and air operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which included Serbia and Montenegro. More than 10,000 people in Kosovo, most of them Albanians, lost their lives in the war, while more than 1 million people from different ethnic groups were forced to leave their homes.

The Kosovo Liberation Army was established by Kosovo Albanians in the 1990s to fight Yugoslav forces and transform Kosovo into an independent state. The organization was disbanded after the war, and its leaders and members joined the security institutions established in the country.

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. Serbia still considers Kosovo part of its territory.

Kosovo’s former President Hashim Thaçi sentenced to 25 years for war crimes