The Hague (AFP) – Prosecutors on Monday demanded 45 years in prison against former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi as well as three other former senior military officials whose trial in The Hague for war crimes during the conflict with Serbia in the 1990s has entered its final phase.

Published on: 02/09/2026 - 6:51 p.m.

All four are accused of murder, torture, persecution and illegal detention of hundreds of civilians and non-combatants, including Serbs, Roma and Kosovo Albanians considered political opponents, at dozens of sites in Kosovo and Albania.

They are also being prosecuted for crimes against humanity.

“The seriousness of the accusations has not diminished over time,” prosecutor Kimberly West said Monday in her closing arguments, which are, along with those of the defense, the final step in this trial which is due to end next week.

The court, located in The Hague but part of the Kosovo judicial system, will have an additional month to deliberate before issuing its verdict.

This deadline could be extended by two months in the event of exceptional circumstances.

“Attempts” to influence testimonies

Hashim Thaci, 57, who wore a charcoal gray suit, white shirt and red tie, listened attentively as the hearing began.

At the material time, the one who immediately resigned from the presidency after his indictment in 2020 was the political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) and the three other accused were high-ranking officers in this independence guerrilla movement.

All pleaded not guilty when the trial opened four years ago and are all expected to do the same in their closing arguments.

Created by the Kosovo Parliament, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers investigates and prosecutes alleged war crimes committed by Kosovar guerrillas during hostilities with Serbia.

They are exclusively composed of international staff in order to protect witnesses from possible reprisals in their country of origin.

Prosecutor Kimberly West, however, stressed that investigators had uncovered “clear attempts” to “dilute, or even influence, certain testimonies, in particular for the benefit of the accused Hashim Thaçi”.

"Liberation War"

In Pristina, Kosovo's capital, where the men are still widely considered heroes of the independence struggle, former KLA members gathered to watch the trial on television.

The group's leader, Hysni Gucati, described the accusations against the four former senior officials as "scandalous".

"This only pleases Serbia and all those who oppose Kosovo," he told local media, speaking from the veterans' headquarters in the city center.

Kosovar President Vjosa Osmani, for her part, considered that any desire to compare the “liberation war” waged by the KLA to the actions of the “genocidal Serbian aggressor” was detrimental to lasting peace.

“The KLA war was just and pure” and “this truth cannot be altered by attempts to rewrite history and tarnish or devalue the struggle of the Kosovar people for freedom,” she added.

A demonstration in support of the four defendants is planned in Pristina for February 17, the supposed last day of the trial.

Which will also fall on the national holiday...

© 2026 AFP

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