A Hague tribunal investigating war crimes committed during Kosovo’s war for independence from Serbia found former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci guilty of war crimes and sentenced him to 25 years in prison.
Thaci, who was tried alongside three other former guerrilla leaders, was convicted of murder, torture, cruel treatment and arbitrary detention. The 58-year-old former statesman showed no emotion and remained silent as presiding judge Charles Smith read out the verdict.
The long-awaited verdict followed a three-year trial of four former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) — Thaci, Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi and Kadri Veseli.
Prosecutors had sought prison sentences of 45 years for each defendant. All four had pleaded not guilty.
