Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi has been found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to 25 years in prison by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
At the moment the decision was announced, Thaçi smiled.
The trial panel found him criminally responsible for crimes including murder, torture, cruel treatment and unlawful detention, committed during the war in Kosovo.
In this process, Thaçi faced charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including: persecution, imprisonment, inhumane acts, torture, unlawful killings, and enforced disappearances.
Hashim Thaçi was one of the leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army during the war and subsequently one of the main figures in Kosovo politics.
During the war, he became known as a political representative of the KLA, and was also part of the Kosovo delegation at the Rambouillet Conference in 1999.
Read alsoThe stranger enters his house and forcibly takes money from his pocketAfter the end of the war, Thaçi was among the founders and leaders of the Democratic Party of Kosovo. He led the PDK for many years and held some of the highest state positions.
Thaçi became prime minister in 2008, when Kosovo declared independence on February 17. He remained at the head of the government until 2014, and then served as deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.
In 2016, Thaçi was elected president of Kosovo. He held this position until November 5, 2020, when he resigned after the Specialist Chambers in The Hague confirmed the indictment against him.
After resigning, Thaçi was transferred to The Hague, where since November 2020 he has remained in detention during the trial.
