Live update

On 29 January 2026, the Court of Appeals Panel denied Pjetër Shala’s appeal and affirmed the Reparation Order issued by the Trial Panel on 29 November 2024.
Further details are available in our press release issued yesterday.
 

Here is the transcript of today's KSC Weekly Press Briefing.

On 28 January 2026, the Single Trial Judge, Christopher Gosnell, partially granted a request by the Defence of Hashim Thaçi and ordered that the trial in the case against Hashim Thaçi, Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj, Fadil Fazliu and Hajredin Kuçi will commence on Friday, 27 February 2026, instead of 24 February as previously scheduled. More details in the Judge's decision.

Please be informed that the public redacted versions of the filings and the decision concerning Salih Mustafa’s request for temporary release submitted in December last year are now available.

As reflected in the filings, the Single Judge was seized of Mustafa’s request to visit his father in hospital on Monday, 22 December, and on the same day issued a decision requesting further submissions from the parties. On the following day, the Defence filed an additional submission, including updated medical documentation. At the time of the passing of Salih Mustafa’s father on 25 December, further submissions were still pending before the Single Judge.

Subsequently, the Single Judge invited the Defence to indicate whether it wished to amend the initial request, including for the purpose of visiting the grave or family members. Defence informed the Court that it did not intend to submit any further or modified request, following which the Single Judge declared the request moot. More details are available in the filings via this link.

On 27 January 2026, the Defence of Bashkim Smakaj filed the public redacted version of its pre-trial brief, which had originally been submitted confidentially on 19 October 2025.
As previously announced, the public redacted pre-trial briefs of the SPO, Hashim Thaçi and Fadil Fazliu are already available.

Here is the transcript of today's KSC Weekly Press Briefing.

In its latest detention review decision of 16 January 2026, the Trial Panel in the Thaçi et al. case ordered the continued detention of Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi. The Panel found that the risks that the accused may obstruct the progress of the proceedings or commit further offences continue to exist.

The last detention review for Hashim Thaçi was decided in December 2025, with the next review expected in February 2026. 

Here is the transcript of today's KSC Weekly Press Briefing.

Another KSC weekly press briefing will take place on Thursday, 15 January 2026, at 14:30. During this briefing, the KSC Spokespersons will provide a short update on the latest developments in the judicial proceedings before the KSC, as well as on other public activities of the Court. Journalists will have the opportunity to ask questions. Pre-registration is required to attend each briefing. To pre-register, please send an email with name and affiliation to [email protected]. Deadline for pre-registration is every Thursday at 12:00. The Zoom details will be shared following pre-registration. Recordings of the update provided during the Weekly Press Briefings will be made available on the KSC YouTube Channel.

On 30 December, President Trendafilova assigned a Constitutional Court Panel to rule on the referral, filed by Hashim Thaci earlier the same day. Judges Vidar Stensland, Roumen Nenkov, and Piotr Hofmański will decide on this referral, which follows the Appeals Court decision from 28 October 2025 (see here our post about that matter).