The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague announced on Thursday that September 10, 11, and 14 have been scheduled for the presentation of closing arguments in the obstruction of justice case against former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj, Fadil Fazliu, and Hajredin Kuçi.
The five defendants are accused of attempting to influence witnesses called by prosecutors in the separate war crimes trial against Thaçi and former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimibetween April and November 2023.
Thaçi faces three counts of attempting to obstruct official persons in the performance of their duties, as well as eight counts of violating the secrecy of proceedings and contempt of court.
Smakaj, Kilaj, and Fazliu are each charged with one count of attempted obstruction of official persons and one count of contempt of court, while Kuçi faces two counts of contempt of court.
All five defendants have pleaded not guilty. Their trial began on February 27, and the prosecution concluded the presentation of its evidence on March 13.
Meanwhile, the verdict in the separate war crimes and crimes against humanity case against Thaçi, Veseli, Krasniqi, and Selimi is scheduled to be delivered on September 16.
The four former KLA leaders are charged with crimes including murder, torture, and persecution, allegedly committed during the 1998–1999 Kosovo war. They have denied all charges and pleaded not guilty to allegations involving approximately 155 victims.
Prosecutors have requested that each defendant be found guilty and sentenced to 45 years in prison.
More than 130 witnesses testified during the trial, while 160 additional witness statements were admitted into evidence over the course of the three-year proceedings.
The war crimes trial concluded in February, and the four defendants have remained in detention in The Hague since their arrest in 2020.
Although the Kosovo Specialist Chambers formally operate within Kosovo’s judicial system, they are staffed by international judges and prosecutors.
The trials of the former KLA leaders have sparked widespread criticism in Kosovo, with many arguing that the court is one-sided because it does not address crimes committed by Serbian forces during the conflict.
Since the proceedings began, billboards and posters bearing the slogan “Freedom Has a Name” alongside photographs of the former KLA leaders have appeared across Kosovo. Protests against the court process have also been held in Prishtina and other cities.
On Kosovo’s Independence Day, February 17, thousands of people joined the “Justice, Not Politics” protest in Prishtina in support of Thaçi, Veseli, Selimi, and Krasniqi.
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