Thaçi Sentenced to 25 Years for War Crimes: Implications for Kosovo and Balkan EU Accession

BY: SUTTON CROUCH | SEPTEMBER 28, 2026

This past week, Kosovo’s former President, Hashim Thaçi (2016–2020), was sentenced to 25 years by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers for war crimes, while being found not guilty of crimes against humanity, during the war in Kosovo against Serbia. Thaçi served four of his five years in office, resigning in 2020 to face his charges in the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. Along with Thaçi, three co-defendants were found guilty of war crimes involving the arbitrary detention of 385 people, cruel treatment of 49, torture of 303 detainees, and the murder of 96 people. During the 1998–99 war, Thaçi and his co-defendants were found to have targeted civilians and politicians whom they believed to be “collaborators” with the enemy. Those with Serbian friends or contacts could be targeted for murder.

For some Kosovans, the verdict is in staunch opposition to their war for independence. Thaçi is regarded as a national hero. In Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, thousands of people watched the trial, cheering slogans in support of the Kosovo Liberation Army, which Thaçi led during the Kosovo independence campaign. In The Hague, hundreds of Thaçi supporters clashed with Dutch riot police.

Within the Western Balkans, this ruling brings important foreign policy consequences and could even impact the EU accession paths of Balkan nations. Kosovo Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca condemned the verdict. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić spoke out in concern over a successful appeal for Thaçi, lamenting that Thaçi’s alleged crimes against ethnic Serbs were not taken into account. Serbia has yet to recognize Kosovo as an independent state despite EU- and U.S.-led negotiations since Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence. With Thaçi’s trial stoking tensions, Kosovo and Serbia’s stalled EU accession paths may face more setbacks, as normalization between the two countries is a stipulation of EU membership.