Hague court to deliver verdict in war crimes trial of Kosovo’s former President Thaci

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci will learn his fate Wednesday when international judges at a court in The Hague deliver verdicts in his war crimes trial.Thaci is facing multiple counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity including murder, torture and persecution alongside three other former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army who fought Serb forces in the 1998-99 war. They are widely regarded as national heroes in their homeland.Thousands of people rallied in Pristina over the weekend in support of the four men. The protesters filled a central square in the capital, many carrying red and black Albanian flags.Portraits of the four former KLA fighters have been plastered across the city along with a huge digital clock counting down to Wednesday's verdicts. “In the name of the people, declare them innocent," one banner read.Prosecutors at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers court in The Hague have asked for a maximum 45-year prison sentence for Thaci and the other defendants, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi. They have all denied the charges against them. “Throughout my life, I stood with the people of Kosovo defending freedom, life and ...