Former Kosovo Leader Hashim Thaci Gets 25 Years in Prison for War Crimes

A special court has sentenced former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci to 25 years in prison after finding him guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The judgment comes from a tribunal based in The Hague that handles serious crimes from the 1990s Kosovo conflict. The court ruled that Thaci took part in a joint criminal enterprise that targeted political opponents and minority groups during the war for independence from Serbia. Prosecutors presented evidence detailing persecutions, murders, and illegal detentions during the late 1990s fighting. The ruling marks a major legal milestone for the international court established to try former guerrilla fighters and leaders from the Kosovo Liberation Army.