After the verdict against Hashim Thaçi was announced, the reaction from the defence was frontal and without any diplomatic filter. Lawyer Pierre-Richard Prosper harshly attacked the decision, portraying it as unjust and calling on Kosovo’s institutions to reconsider their relationship with the Specialist Chambers.
The defence calls the ruling a “mockery of justice”
Prosper described the verdict against his client as a “mockery of justice” and said the defence would appeal the decision.
According to him, the outcome of the proceedings had been predetermined, while the court, in the version presented by the defence, is “rewriting history” by treating the KLA as an organised structure and assigning responsibility to Thaçi.
“Dark day” and direct attack on the tribunals
After the verdict was announced, the lawyer said this was “a dark day for international justice” and went even further, calling it “the end of tribunals.”
Such statements place the debate not only on the specific criminal case, but also on the legitimacy of the international justice mechanisms themselves, which operate on the basis of political and institutional agreements.
Call for the Assembly of Kosovo to withdraw support
Prosper openly asked the Assembly of Kosovo to examine this issue and reconsider its support for the tribunals.
He described it as a partnership between the European Union and the Assembly of Kosovo, saying that if he were in a decision-making position, he would remove that support “tomorrow.”
He went on to say that Kosovo should make a sovereign decision and that, in certain circumstances, it should “stand up” and decide for itself.
Reaction to the phrase “in the name of the people of Kosovo”
One of the moments Prosper singled out publicly was the announcement of the decision using the formula “in the name of the people of Kosovo.”
He said he had “hit his head with his fists” when he heard the phrase and claimed that the court had not listened to the defence.
According to the lawyer, Thaçi appreciates the support he is receiving and is prepared to continue the legal battle.
Prosper also said that Thaçi “will be released at some point” and that the fight will continue through further procedural avenues.
For now, the public position of the defence is clear: an appeal of the ruling and an open clash with the way the Specialist Chambers are presenting this process.