Kosovo: Prosecutors Seek Thaci's Conviction for War Crimes

Prosecutors at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers have requested the conviction of former Kosovo President, Hashim Thaci, for war crimes, proposing a 45-year prison sentence. Thaci and three former commanders of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) are accused of persecution, murder, torture, and enforced disappearances during the 1998-1999 uprising.

Prosecutor Kimberley West stated that Thaci controlled the Albanian rebel forces and that the defendants committed crimes against their opponents to gain control of Kosovo. According to the prosecution, over 100 political opponents and individuals considered collaborators with Serbian security forces were killed, while hundreds of others were abused in KLA-run detention camps.

Thaci and his co-defendants deny all charges. Defense lawyers argued that Thaci did not have real authority in the KLA during the uprising. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers was established in 2015 to investigate cases against former KLA rebels for war crimes.