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The final phase of the trial against Thaçi and others begins on Monday in The Hague
2026-02-08 14:51:37 / KOSOVA
The final phase of the largest trial in the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague begins on Monday. The prosecution, defense team and defendants will have the opportunity to address the trial panel for the last time with their submissions in this process.
Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi are facing charges brought by the Specialist Prosecutor's Office, which they have described as unfounded. The lawyer accredited by the Specialist Court in The Hague, Artan Çerkini, reveals what can be heard in the Special from February 9 to 18.
"We are in the final phase because the closing arguments of the parties in this procedure also mark the end of the procedure. Of course, in the closing arguments, both the prosecution and the defense will summarize the facts and evidence, each to defend its position. Initially, the prosecution will start, then the defense. There is a court ruling where the details are clearly defined. That ruling states that the prosecution will have eight hours, while each defense team will have four and a half hours. The defendants will also have 20 minutes to address the court. After the closing arguments, the panel will retire to make a decision. According to the ruling, the panel has three months to make a decision, but if the panel assesses that it needs more time, the panel may request from the president of the court that the deadline for making a decision be extended," said Çerkini.
Blendina Veliçi, who is a monitor at the Kosovo Law Institute, says that this process has been protracted.
"This case has been excessively prolonged, we as IKL have also said that even their five-year detention was unreasonable because they themselves surrendered to justice. However, we can say that in this case a large number of evidence has been administered, a large number of witnesses have been heard. However, we expect the trial panel to make a proper assessment of each piece of evidence and each witness, so that it is then reflected in the final decision," she said.
The former Kosovo Liberation Army commanders have been in custody in The Hague since November 2020. Their trial began on April 3, 2023 - almost three years after the indictment was confirmed, since when the former KLA leaders have been held in the detention center in The Hague, while a protest in their support is expected to be held in Pristina on February 17.
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