Former Kosovo president Thaci sentenced to 25 years for war crimes committed during the 1990s conflict. The verdict, delivered by a panel of judges at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, found him guilty of murder, torture, and arbitrary detention of hundreds of people. The ruling has sparked immediate public reaction and political controversy in Kosovo and Serbia.
Thaci, 58, was convicted of murdering 96 political opponents and torturing 303 people during his leadership of the Kosovo Liberation Army. The court ruled he actively participated in and encouraged crimes, with prosecutors seeking a 45-year sentence. Thaci and three other KLA leaders were found guilty of war crimes but not of crimes against humanity, as the judges deemed the evidence insufficient for that charge.
The verdict has led to widespread protests in Pristina and The Hague, with supporters chanting 'Thaci, Thaci' and some turning to violence. Political leaders in Kosovo have condemned the ruling, calling it an 'unacceptable injustice' that undermines the country's narrative of liberation. The trial, which focused on the 1990s conflict, has deepened tensions between Kosovo and Serbia over the legacy of the war.