{
  "id": 7764452,
  "title": "Former Kosovo president Thaci sentenced to 25 years for war crimes",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/former-kosovo-president-thaci-sentenced-to-25-years-for-war-crimes-7764452",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T10:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2026/09/16/former-kosovo-president-thaci-sentenced-to-25-years-for-war-crimes"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kosovo's former president Hashim Thaci has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for war crimes, according to the Kosovo war crimes tribunal. Thaci, who commanded the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the territory's conflict with Serbia in the 1990s, was found guilty of 96 murders, the arbitrary detention of 385 individuals, and the torture of 303 people. The tribunal also convicted Thaci of cruel treatment towards around 50 others. Thaci, 58, remained silent as the verdict was read and the sentence imposed. Despite denying all charges, Thaci was accused of actively participating and encouraging these crimes. The verdict, which sparked both support and opposition in Kosovo and Serbia, has remained a sensitive issue due to the lingering tensions from the 1998-99 conflict and Kosovo's 2008 independence declaration.",
  "summary": "Hashim Thaci is sentenced for crimes committed as a Kosovo Liberation Army commander during the country’s violent break from Serbia in the 1990s.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 11,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun",
        "title": "Kosovo Ex-President Thaci Faces War Crimes Verdict in The Hague",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/kosovo-ex-president-thaci-faces-war-crimes-verdict-in-the-hague",
        "published": "2026-09-16T02:52:46.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Hague court to deliver verdict in war crimes trial of Kosovo’s former President Thaci",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/hague-court-to-deliver-verdict-in-war-crimes-trial-of-kosovos-former",
        "published": "2026-09-16T05:17:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Kosovo's former president faces war crimes verdict",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/kosovos-former-president-faces-war-crimes-verdict",
        "published": "2026-09-16T06:12:43.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "DW News",
        "title": "Kosovo ex-president Thaci faces Hague war crimes verdict",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/kosovo-ex-president-thaci-faces-hague-war-crimes-verdict",
        "published": "2026-09-16T07:28:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Al Jazeera",
        "title": "Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci faces verdict for alleged war crimes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/former-kosovo-president-hashim-thaci-faces-verdict-for-alleged-war",
        "published": "2026-09-16T07:49:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Sky News",
        "title": "Kosovo's former president jailed for 25 years over war crimes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/kosovos-former-president-jailed-for-25-years-over-war-crimes",
        "published": "2026-09-16T08:23:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euronews",
        "title": "Kosovo's former President Thaçi convicted of war crimes at Hague court",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/kosovos-former-president-thaci-convicted-of-war-crimes-at-hague-court",
        "published": "2026-09-16T09:58:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Former Kosovo president Thaci sentenced to 25 years for war crimes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/former-kosovo-president-thaci-sentenced-to-25-years-for-war-crimes-7768459",
        "published": "2026-09-16T10:01:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "South China Morning Post",
        "title": "Former Kosovo president Thaci gets 25 years in prison for war crimes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/former-kosovo-president-thaci-gets-25-years-in-prison-for-war-crimes",
        "published": "2026-09-16T10:14:33.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Maverick",
        "title": "Former Kosovo president Thaci sentenced to 25 years for war crimes",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/former-kosovo-president-thaci-sentenced-to-25-years-for-war-crimes-7767601",
        "published": "2026-09-16T11:00:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}