Former Kosovo President Thaci gets 25 years for war crimes

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers has found former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci guilty of war crimes, sentencing him to 25 years in prison for crimes including murder, torture and unlawful detention committed while he was commanding the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in the 1990s.

The tribunal found Thaci guilty of the killing of 96 political opponents and alleged collaborators with Serbian security forces during the conflict, Caliber.Az reports, citing Reuters.

During the 1998–1999 Kosovo War, Thaci was one of the leaders of the KLA, which fought Serbian forces for the territory’s secession from Serbia.

In Kosovo, many Albanians regard Thaci and other KLA commanders as national heroes. Ahead of the verdict, rallies in support of Thaci were held in Pristina, with participants waving Kosovo Liberation Army flags.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov