War crimes in Kosovo: Hashim Thaçi sentenced to 25 years in prison

25 years in prison for the former president and head of government of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi and 25, 18 and 13 years in prison for the former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army KLA Jakup Krasniqi, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi.

This was the verdict of the Kosovo special court in The Hague on Wednesday, which had been awaited with excitement and nervousness. The charges included war crimes and crimes against humanity, murder, torture and the persecution of civilians between March 1998 and September 1999. The public prosecutor's office had demanded 45 years in prison for each defendant.

At the beginning of the verdict, the presiding US judge Charles Smith III said that this case was not about the legitimacy of the KLA, but rather about specific allegations of crimes “against Serbs, Roma and especially against Kosovo Albanians” for which the defendants were held responsible. Therefore, the only question addressed was whether the crimes listed in the indictment had actually been committed.

All defendants were found guilty of war crimes including arbitrary detention, torture, cruel treatment and murder. In contrast, the judges found that there was no basis for proving crimes against humanity. The prosecution failed to prove beyond doubt that a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population had taken place.

Once again, Judge Charles Smith III pointed out that the trial took place in a “climate of witness intimidation.” Some witnesses lied in court or changed their previous statements. Some might have been afraid out of concern for their safety or out of loyalty. Last but not least, these allegations led to Thaçi being charged with obstruction of justice in another case.

The KLA first appeared in 1997 after the peaceful resistance of Kosovo Albanians against Serbia's brutal repressive policies under Slobodan Milošević failed. Thaçi relatively quickly rose to become a leading figure within the KLA. The powerful army, which had developed from small guerrilla troops, fought against Serbian and Yugoslav troops.

Hundreds of thousands of Albanians were driven from their homes during the conflict, and around 13,000 people died or are missing. In March 1999, NATO used Yugoslavia's failure to sign a peace treaty negotiated through international mediation in Rambouillet as a justification for 78 days of air strikes on Serbia, which led to the withdrawal of Serbian troops from Kosovo. In February 2008, Thaçi announced Kosovo's independence.

Under considerable pressure, Kosovo finally agreed to the establishment of a special international court, which was launched in 2015. Thaçi and the three other defendants have been incarcerated in The Hague since 2020. The trial, which began on April 3, 2023, lasted almost three years. The costs for the entire procedure amount to 500 million euros.

Thousands of Albanians from various European countries traveled to The Hague on Wednesday to follow the court's statements live via loudspeakers in a park. Police forces had cordoned off a large area of ​​the area. After the verdicts were announced, there were brief clashes with the Dutch police, who used tear gas and batons to bring some KLA supporters under control. They were prevented from marching further towards the courthouse. Water cannons and service dogs were also used.

Clocks were set up in the Kosovo capital Prishtina and in the city of Ferizaj/Uroševac to count the days until the verdict was announced. Kosovo war veterans, public figures and other supporters of the accused held a vigil on Wednesday night in central Prishtina and in Skenderaj, Thaçi's hometown.

Reactions to the verdicts from Kosovo were not long in coming. Former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj criticized the verdict as “unacceptable and unfair” but said the legal battle was not yet lost. "The KLA waged a war of liberation. The fight for justice must continue. This fight must be won," Haradinaj wrote on Facebook.

Albulena Haxhiuk, acting president of Kosovo since April 4, 2026, described the verdicts as “shocking” and added that the right to appeal should be exercised. "Today we need calm, dignity and unity. The pain of this day must not divide us," she said. It remains to be seen whether their compatriots will follow this appeal.