After years of investigations, arrests and a trial that has sparked intense debate in Kosovo, the first-instance verdict for Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi is expected to be delivered in The Hague on September 16 at 10:00. The four former KLA leaders face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, while the defence has insisted that individual responsibility has not been proven.
From the 2011 report to the creation of the Specialist Chambers
At the origin of the case are investigations into allegations of crimes committed by KLA members during and after the war in Kosovo. A turning point was the 2011 Council of Europe report, which raised serious accusations and called for further investigations.
In 2015, following international pressure and stated concerns over witness protection, Kosovo approved constitutional amendments that paved the way for the creation of the Specialist Chambers. Although this institution operates under Kosovo law, it was established in The Hague, a fact that has accompanied the process from the beginning with political debate and public mistrust.
Indictment against four leading wartime figures
Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi were included in the indictment of the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, initially confirmed on October 26, 2020 and later amended several times.
According to the prosecution, the charges relate to the period from at least March 1998 to September 1999. The case file includes allegations of persecution, murder, imprisonment, torture and enforced disappearance against persons considered or perceived to be opponents of the KLA.
All four defendants have denied the charges and declared themselves not guilty. On November 5, 2020, they were transferred to the detention centre in The Hague, while Thaçi resigned from the post of President of Kosovo in order to face the proceedings.
The trial that began in 2023 and the weight of the evidence
The trial officially began on April 3, 2023, after a long phase of preliminary procedures. According to the prosecution’s version, the four accused held leading roles in the KLA and bear individual responsibility for the crimes included in the indictment.
According to the Specialist Chambers, by the close of the presentation of evidence on April 15, 2025, the prosecution had called 125 witnesses and around 3,000 documentary exhibits had been admitted in the proceedings. By that stage, 1,430 filings had also been submitted.
In July 2025, evidence from the Victims’ Counsel Office was also presented, representing 155 victims participating in the proceedings. This was followed by the defence phase, during which lawyers challenged the basis of the charges and their clients’ individual criminal responsibility.
Request for 45 years in prison and the climate of debate in Kosovo
At the end of the proceedings, the prosecution requested 45 years in prison for each of the accused. According to it, Thaçi and the three co-defendants were part of a leadership structure and bore responsibility for a campaign of persecution and violence against perceived political opponents and other communities.
The defence has sought acquittal, arguing that the charges were not proven beyond reasonable doubt and that the accused did not have the operational control attributed to them by the prosecution.
The process has remained one of the most debated issues in Kosovo, not only on the legal level but also on the political one. Protests and gatherings in support of the former KLA leaders have been held in Kosovo, while in February 2026 thousands of people protested in Pristina against the trial and demanded their release.
The trial panel has entered the deliberation phase and the judgment will be delivered on September 16, 2026 in The Hague.
The decision will be a first-instance ruling, meaning the legal battle will not necessarily end there, as the parties have the right to appeal. Nevertheless, for Kosovo and for the central figures of the war and state-building, tomorrow’s verdict remains a moment of particular significance.