The Kosovo war crimes tribunal has convicted former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci of four counts of war crimes committed during his countryâÂÂs war for independence from Serbia.
Thaci, 58, was sentenced on Wednesdayàto 25 years in prison for âÂÂcrimes including murder, torture and illegal detention committed as top commander of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) during the â territoryâÂÂs violent break â from Serbia in the 1990s.
The tribunal said he was â guilty of the murder â of 96 political â 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 comeâ¦