Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci convicted of war crimes 

The Kosovo war crimes tribunal has convicted former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci of four counts of war crimes committed during his country’s war for independence from Serbia.

Thaci, 58, was sentenced on Wednesday to 25 years in prison for ‌crimes including murder, torture and illegal detention committed as top commander of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the ⁠territory’s violent break ⁠from Serbia in the 1990s.

The tribunal said he was ⁠guilty of the murder ⁠of 96 political ⁠opponents and perceived collaborators with Serbian security forces by KLA forces during the conflict.

Thaci denies all the charges.

Wearing a suit and tie, Thaci stood in silence as Presiding Judge Charles Smith read out the sentence.

More to come…