Kosovo ex-president faces 45 years as war crimes trial nears verdict

The war crimes trial of Kosovo’s former president Hashim Thaci and three co-defendants has entered its final and most consequential phase , with closing arguments underway at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague after nearly three years of proceedings. Prosecutors on Monday said there is “overwhelming evidence” that Thaci and the others are guilty of murder, torture and other serious offences committed during Kosovo’s 1998‑99 war for independence from Serbia.

Thaci resigned from the presidency in 2020 to face trial on 10 charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes including persecution, murder, torture and enforced disappearance. He and his co-defendants — Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi — are accused of overseeing a campaign of abuses against people they considered collaborators with Serbian forces or political opponents, including ethnic Serbs, Roma and some Kosovo Albanians. Prosecutors say these crimes were committed at more than 40 locations across Kosovo and in parts of northern Albania.

Prosecutor Kimberly West told judges that victims and witnesses risked intimidation to come forward, underscoring the difficulty of securing testimony in a case marked by fear and controversy. The court’s international staff was largely installed to protect witnesses and the integrity of proceedings after earlier episodes of witness interference.

Prosecutors have asked the trial panel to impose 45‑year prison sentences on all four accused. Defence teams maintain their clients are innocent. Thaci, often referred to by his wartime nickname “The Snake”, has consistently denied all charges and argued that he lacked effective command over local Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) fighters who allegedly committed abuses.

The closing arguments are scheduled through February 18 , with prosecutors, defence attorneys and victims’ representatives summarising their cases before the court begins deliberations. According to court officials, the panel must deliver its verdict within 90 days of the closing of evidence, though this deadline can be extended by up to 60 days if necessary.

The trial’s long trajectory has featured high-profile testimony on both sides. Defence witnesses have included former US and NATO officials who portrayed the KLA as loosely organised and argued Thaci did not exercise direct control over combat units. These arguments seek to undermine the prosecution’s claim of centralised command responsibility.

In addition to the main war crimes proceedings, Thaci faces a separate trial starting on February 27, 2026 , on charges related to obstructing justice and witness tampering . Prosecutors allege he shared confidential information and tried to influence testimony in the main trial.The Kosovo Specialist Chambers were established in 2015 under Kosovan law with international support to ensure impartial adjudication of serious offences from the war era, particularly amid concerns about domestic judicial capacity and witness safety. Critics in Kosovo, including political parties and war veterans, continue to view the court as unjust or politically motivated, arguing it undermines the narrative of the KLA as liberators.

Thaci, once a student in political exile in Switzerland, rose to prominence as a leader of the KLA and later as a statesman embraced by Western allies during Kosovo’s path to independence. The 1998‑99 conflict left about 13,000 people dead — primarily ethnic Albanians — and displaced nearly a million more before NATO airstrikes ended intense fighting.