Hashim Thaçi will learn on November 17 the decision in the second case he is facing in The Hague, this time for criminal offenses against the administration of justice. The hearing for the delivery of the judgment has been scheduled for 10:00, while four other defendants are involved in the same proceedings.
Date of the decision and names in the case file
In addition to the former president of Kosovo, those charged in this case are Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj, Fadil Fazliu and Hajredin Kuçi. All five have pleaded not guilty.
The case concerns suspicions of interference in the justice process, a charge that adds to the heavy criminal burden Thaçi already faces in The Hague.
What the Prosecution has requested
The Prosecution has requested six years in prison for Hashim Thaçi. For Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj and Fadil Fazliu, it has requested three years in prison each, while for Hajredin Kuçi it has requested nine months.
According to the prosecution, if Thaçi is found guilty in this proceeding as well, the new sentence should be served after the completion of the first sentence and not concurrently. This means the prison terms would be calculated one after the other.
The prosecution’s claims and the defense’s objection
According to the indictment, Thaçi is suspected of having passed confidential information about witnesses to visitors in detention during 2023, along with instructions to influence their testimony. According to the prosecution’s version, these allegations also involve the role of the other defendants.
Thaçi’s defense has requested his acquittal, arguing that there is insufficient evidence for a conviction. In other words, faced with the Prosecution’s request for imprisonment, the defense insists that the charges have not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Audio recordings and the link to the other case
At the start of the trial, in February of this year, the Prosecution released audio recordings from Thaçi’s meetings with visitors in detention. According to it, these materials supported claims of attempts to influence witness testimony.
This proceeding is separate from the war crimes trial, in which Thaçi was sentenced to 25 years in prison. However, the Prosecution’s request that any new sentence be carried out separately makes November 17 a date of particular significance for his legal position in The Hague.
The November 17 decision is expected to clarify whether the prosecution’s obstruction of justice claims stand in the trial panel’s final assessment.
For Thaçi, the case concerns not only a second charge, but also the concrete consequences it could have on the length of his time in prison if he is found guilty.