THE HAGUE, September 16. /TASS/. The Kosovo war crimes tribunal in the Hague found former president Hashim Thaci guilty of committing war crimes and sentenced him to 25 years in prison, taking into account the time he has already served, said presiding judge Charles Smith.
"The panel finds you, Hashim Thaci, guilty of the war crime of illegal or arbitrary arrest and detention, the crime of cruel treatment, torture as a war crime. The panel now sentences you to a single sentence of 25 years of imprisonment with credit for time served," Smith announced the verdict.
Taking into account the nearly six years he spent in custody, Thaci will have to serve about 19 years in prison. His associates -- former parliamentary speakers Jakup Krasniqi and Kadri Veseli, as well as former deputy from the Self·Determination party Rexhep Selimi -- were sentenced to 25, 18, and 13 years in prison, respectively. According to the indictment, all four were members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and, as such, are held responsible for the crimes committed during a non·international conflict in Kosovo. These crimes were part of widespread and systematic attacks on people who are believed not to have supported KLA’s actions.
The hearings in the Thaci case began on September 15, 2025. In total, about 140 victims of the crimes are participating in the proceedings. It took the Kosovo Special Court’s prosecutor’s office about two years to present all the evidence.