Hashim Thaci

Hashim Thaci, the 58-year-old former president of Kosovo, has been convicted of war crimes by the Kosovo war crimes tribunal. The tribunal found him guilty of multiple counts, including murder, torture, and illegal detention, committed during the 1990s conflict for Kosovo's independence from Serbia. Thaci was a top commander of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during this period. Prosecutors had sought a 45-year sentence, but he was ultimately sentenced to 25 years in prison. This verdict marks a significant development in accountability for wartime actions during Kosovo's struggle for independence, with Thaci's conviction highlighting the legal repercussions for his role as a KLA commander.