A special international court based in The Hague has sentenced Hashim Thaçi, a former president of Kosovo, to 25 years in prison for war crimes committed during the 1990s. The court, known as the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, is an EU-backed tribunal that investigates alleged crimes from Kosovo's war for independence from Serbia. Thaçi was found guilty of murder, torture, cruel treatment, and illegal detention, charges related to actions taken by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), the group that led Kosovo's fight for independence. The trial, which lasted nearly three years, concluded with Thaçi remaining silent as the sentence was announced. Thaçi, 58, stepped down as president nearly six years ago to face the charges. He and three other former KLA leaders—Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi—were accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including targeting political opponents and civilians perceived as collaborators. Despite the charges, they are widely seen as national heroes in Kosovo, where thousands of people gathered in the capital, Pristina, to protest the verdicts. Protesters carried Albanian flags and displayed portraits of the men, demanding their innocence. A large digital clock in the city counted down to the announcement of the court's decision. Prosecutors had requested the maximum 45-year sentence for Thaçi and the other defendants, but the court ultimately handed down a 25-year term for Thaçi. All four men have denied the charges, with Thaçi stating in court that he was always guided by the values of democracy, equality, and justice. The court, located in the Netherlands, employs mostly international staff to ensure witness safety and security, a concern that has been a recurring issue in the tribunal's operations. Earlier this year, two leaders of a Kosovo war veterans' association were also convicted for intimidating witnesses by leaking confidential documents. Thaçi, known as "the Snake" for his ability to evade Serb forces during the war, was a key figure in Kosovo's independence movement. He returned from political exile in Switzerland to join the KLA and later became a prominent political leader, invited to peace talks in France in 1999. After the war, he rose to power as president but resigned to face the charges. The conflict, which resulted in over 13,000 deaths—mostly ethnic Albanians—ended with a 78-day NATO bombing campaign. In 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia, a move that Serbia still does not recognize. Tensions between the two countries remain high, despite ongoing EU-mediated negotiations.