Get you up to speed: Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci convicted of war crimes
Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci was convicted by the Kosovo war crimes tribunal of four counts of war crimes related to the country’s war for independence from Serbia. He has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for crimes including murder and torture committed as a top commander of the Kosovo Liberation Army during the 1990s conflict.
The Kosovo war crimes tribunal has announced that Hashim Thaci was found guilty of war crimes on 16 September 2026, with the sentencing taking place on a Wednesday. The tribunal has confirmed Thaci’s conviction for his role as a commander in the Kosovo Liberation Army during the conflict in the 1990s, which involved the murder of 96 political opponents.
Kosovo’s government has yet to publicly comment on the tribunal’s decision regarding Hashim Thaci’s conviction. As further developments are anticipated, Thaci’s legal team is expected to file an appeal against the verdict.
What remains unclear — It is not specified whether Thaci plans to appeal the conviction.
Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci sentenced to 25 years for war crimes
BREAKINGBREAKING, NewsFormer Kosovo President Hashim Thaci convicted of war crimesPublished On 16 Sep 202616 Sep 2026
The Kosovo war crimes tribunal has convicted former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci of four counts of war crimes committed during his country’s war for independence from Serbia.
Thaci, 58, was sentenced on Wednesday to 25 years in prison for crimes including murder, torture and illegal detention committed as top commander of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the territory’s violent break from Serbia in the 1990s.
The tribunal said he was guilty of the murder of 96 political opponents and perceived collaborators with Serbian security forces by KLA forces during the conflict.
Thaci denies all the charges.
Wearing a suit and tie, Thaci stood in silence as Presiding Judge Charles Smith read out the sentence.
More to come…