09/17/2026
25 Years: Kosovo's Hero-President Jailed — Nation Erupts
A European Union-backed court on Wednesday convicted former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi of war crimes committed during the country's 1998–99 war for independence from Serbia and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers found Thaçi, 58, guilty of murder, torture, cruel treatment and arbitrary detention. Presiding Judge Charles Smith said Thaçi "used his position, leadership, authority and standing" to encourage crimes targeting political opponents and civilians perceived as collaborators.
Three co-defendants — former parliamentary speaker Jakup Krasniqi, former intelligence chief Kadri Veseli, and former KLA inspector general Rexhep Selimi — were sentenced to 25, 18 and 13 years respectively, for a combined 81 years. All four were acquitted of crimes against humanity after judges ruled prosecutors failed to prove the acts constituted a widespread or systematic attack on civilians.
The verdict sparked mass protests in Pristina, where thousands had gathered in the capital's main square expecting an acquittal. Crowds dispersed in silence before some demonstrators marched on the EULEX headquarters, throwing stones and clashing with riot police. Similar scuffles broke out outside the courthouse in The Hague.
Kosovo's political leadership reacted with fury. Prime Minister Albin Kurti called the verdict "an unacceptable injustice" and demanded it be corrected on appeal. Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca, who attended the reading in The Hague, described it as "a terrible judgment for Kosovo, for our liberation war".
The four men remain detained in The Hague pending appeal. Thaçi also faces a separate trial on charges of witness intimidation beginning later this month.
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