Kosovo’s former president Hashim Thaci was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of war crimes committed during the conflict for Kosovo’s independence from Serbia in 1998-1999. The ruling was delivered by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, a European Union-backed tribunal based in The Hague, Netherlands.

Thaci, 58, resigned from the presidency nearly six years ago to face charges at the court. He was convicted on multiple counts, including murder, torture, cruel treatment, and arbitrary detention. The court determined that Thaci, along with three other former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders—Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi, and Kadri Veseli—were responsible for a series of war crimes involving hundreds of victims. These crimes included arbitrary detention of 385 individuals, cruel treatment of 49, torture of 303, and the murder of 96 people.

Presiding Judge Charles Smith stated that Thaci actively participated in and promoted crimes orchestrated by the KLA leadership. The judgment also noted their involvement in a common criminal purpose targeting those perceived as opponents to the KLA’s political and military objectives, though the court acquitted them of charges related to crimes against humanity.

Thaci appeared impassive during the reading of the verdict, which can be appealed by both the defense and the prosecution. Prosecutors had requested a stricter sentence. His co-defendants received sentences ranging from 13 to 25 years: Krasniqi was sentenced to 25 years, Selimi to 13 years, and Veseli to 18 years.

The decision has elicited strong reactions in Kosovo, where Thaci and other former KLA leaders are viewed by many as key figures in the country’s struggle for independence. Large crowds gathered in the capital, Pristina, to watch the verdict, with many expressing shock and disappointment. Kosovo Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca described the ruling as “a terrible judgment for Kosovo, for our liberation war,” calling it “sad, unjust and undeserved.”

Thaci, once embraced by Western powers and instrumental in Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence, had maintained his innocence throughout the trial. Since his 2020 indictment, he has been in detention in The Hague, with time served counted toward his sentence.

The verdict marks a significant moment in Kosovo’s recent history, closing a chapter marked by both intense fighting and political upheaval during the late 1990s. It also highlights ongoing efforts by international institutions to address alleged war crimes committed during that period.