Kosovo's former president Hashim Thaçi was sentenced to 25 years by a tribunal in The Hague on Wednesday, September 16, for war crimes, the court said in a long-awaited verdict likely to spark outrage in the Balkan country. The judges said Thaçi, who was tried along with three other former guerrilla leaders, was guilty of illegal arrests, torture, murder and cruel treatment committed by guerrilla fighters, Le Monde reports.
In Kosovo's capital, a large crowd gathered to watch live on large screens the sentencing of a man many revere as a hero. As the decision was delivered, the crowd fell silent, with many appearing to be shocked by the decision after weeks of preparation by his supporters for his possible acquittal.
Thaçi's fellow former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) figures Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi and Kadri Veseli were also found guilty and sentenced. Krasniqi received 25 years in prison, Selimi got 13 years and Veseli 18 years. All four were found to be criminally responsible for the arbitrary detention and torture of hundreds of people and 96 murders, according to the court, but they were acquitted of crimes against humanity charges.
