War crimes tribunal to announce verdict in trial of former Kosovo president Thaci
Prosecutors seek 45-year prison terms as the tribunal weighs allegations that the former Kosovo leaders ordered killings, torture and disappearances during the war.
- On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague will deliver its verdict for former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, alongside former commanders Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi regarding war crimes charges.
- Prosecutors allege Thaci, Veseli, Selimi, and Krasniqi bear "command responsibility" for persecution, torture, and murder during the 1998-1999 uprising against Serbian forces. The defendants deny the charges, arguing the accusations are an attempt to rewrite history.
- The trial involved 234 days of proceedings and 134 in-court witnesses, with prosecutors seeking 45-year sentences for each defendant. They argue the leaders engaged in a "joint criminal enterprise" to silence political opponents during the conflict.
- While supporters in Pristina display images calling the accused "Heroes of War and Peace," expert Agon Maliqi warns the verdict could stir ethnic tensions. Emotions remain high as the region awaits the court's final decision.
- The European Union has invested €500 million into the tribunal since 2008. Observers now question whether these lengthy, expensive proceedings will effectively resolve Kosovo's historical grievances or simply perpetuate the region's long-standing divisions.
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28 Articles
On Wednesday, the verdict was passed against former Kosovar President Hashim Thaçi. He was an important partner of the West during the NATO war against Serbia in 1999.
The Kosovars await with apprehension and indignation the verdict of the trial of the former leaders of the KLA, the Liberation Army of their country. Verdict expected the day after tomorrow, (16 September 2026), twenty-seven years after the conflict in Kosovo. This is the last major trial linked to the wars that have torn the former Yugoslavia.
War crimes tribunal to announce verdict in trial of former ...
BIRN Launches 'Trial Stories' Page for Hashim Thaci Verdict
BIRN’s reporting on the high-profile trial of four wartime Kosovo Liberation Army leaders and in-depth analysis articles about the implications of the case have been compiled on a new focus page ahead of the trial judgment this week.
Kosovo is facing stormy days, writes the press in German on the eve of the verdict against Thaci and other KLA leaders in The Hague and assesses that, in the case of a guilty verdict, new protests can be expected in Kosovo, and perhaps even more serious riots, Deutsche Welle reports.
Who Is Hashim Thaci? Key Facts About Kosovo’s Former President and KLA Commander
Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci is set to hear a verdict on Wednesday at a war crimes tribunal in The Hague over allegations linked to his role in the Kosovo conflict of the late 1990s. Thaci, who denies wrongdoing, rose from a student activist and Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) commander to become one of the […]
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