Live update

The streaming of the trial preparation conference in the case against Gucati and Haradinaj, scheduled for 09:30 this morning, will be broadcast with a delay of 45 minutes. Click here to watch the live stream in English.

The Specialist Prosecutor's Office filed a public redacted version of its pre-trial brief in the case against Gucati and Haradinaj. It can be read here.

On 31 August, the Pre-Trial Judge in the Thaci et al. case rejected the motions by Thaci, Veseli and Selimi related to the legality of the KSC&SPO and alleged violations of certain constitutional rights of the accused. The decision can be seen here.

Please be informed that the trial preparation conference in the Gucati & Haradinaj case tomorrow, 2 September, will commence at 09:30 and not at 10:00 as previously scheduled. Our Calendar has the latest information on the courtroom schedule.

The streaming of the trial preparation conference in the case against Gucati and Haradinaj, scheduled for 10:00 this morning, will be broadcast with a delay of 45 minutes. Click here to watch the live stream in English.

Trial Panel I issued its initial directions on the conduct of the proceedings in the Mustafa trial, according to which this trial will sit on the following days during the months of September and October: 20-24 September, 27-28 September, 4-6 October and 12-14 October. The latest information on the courtroom schedule can be found in our Calendar.

The decision further states that the SPO will have 87 hours to present its case and will call 16 witnesses, 15 of whom would testify live. For the cross-examination of each SPO witness, the Defence will be allocated 50 per cent and Victims’ Counsel 25 per cent of the time effectively used by the SPO for the examination of each witness. The decision with more details is available here.

On 24 August, KSC President Ekaterina Trendafilova dismissed an application, filed by the Defence of Hashim Thaci on 16 August, for her recusal from the specific task of assigning a Court of Appeals Panel to adjudicate Thaci’s appeal on provisional release. 

On 20 August, President Trendafilova dismissed the application by the Haradinaj Defence (joined by the Defence of Gucati) for the reconsideration of her earlier decision (dated 6 August) dismissing the Defence request for, inter alia, her recusal and disqualification in relation to both her judicial and administrative functions in this case and for the recusal or disqualification of the Vice President. Here is the decision. 

As announced in our Calendar, the summer court recess at the KSC begins on Monday, 26 July and ends on 13 August. During this period, no hearings are held and some non-essential services are reduced to a minimum. However, the court remains fully functional during this period and work continues across all sections of the KSC. Filings are possible during the recess.

On 22 July, the Pre-Trial Judge in the Thaci et al. case rendered his decision in relation to the preliminary motions, filed by all four accused, challenging the jurisdiction of the Specialist Chambers. Judge Guillou granted Veseli’s motion, in part, and ordered the SPO to file an amended indictment excluding the extended form of joint criminal enterprise liability (known as “JCE III”) for the special intent crimes. The Defence motions were rejected in all other respects.

Judge Guillou also rendered a decision on the Defence motions challenging the form of the indictment. The Pre-Trial Judge granted, in part, Thaci’s, Selimi’s and Krasniqi’s motions and ordered the SPO to file a corrected version of the confirmed indictment, as instructed in the decision, by 3 September. The remainder of their motions were rejected and Veseli’s motion was rejected in its entirety.

Both decisions are available in our Public Court Records.