Live update

Please be informed that the trial will resume at 12:15 (at 13:00 in the online stream), not at 14:30 as we announced before.

As announced by the Presiding Judge, the trial will be on a break until 14:30 (or until 15:15 in the online stream) to allow the Defence Counsel to consult with their clients on a certain matter.

As indicated in our Court Calendar, the trial in the case against Thaçi, Veseli, Selimi and Krasniqi is scheduled to resume this morning at 09:00 (or at 09:45 in the online stream). Click here to watch the broadcast in English.

Due to compelling humanitarian grounds, the Trial Panel and the Pre-trial Judge have instructed the Registry to manage a custodial visit to Kosovo for Hashim Thaçi to pay his respects and be with immediate family. The accused remains in detention and in the custody of the Specialist Chambers. This is Mr. Thaci’s fourth custodial visit to Kosovo. So far, fourteen such visits by detainees to Kosovo have been ordered by the judges of the Specialist Chambers and managed by the court.

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

The KSC has received several questions from journalists and members of the public following the death of Hashim Thaci’s father about whether Mr. Thaci will be permitted to visit Kosovo, as he was permitted to do last week when he visited the hospital, and on two earlier occasions.

Keenly aware of the importance of being with family in situations like this, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers legal framework allows detainees to request a visit to Kosovo on compelling humanitarian grounds. The judges adopted this rule based on international human rights law, including Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights and the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.

So far, thirteen such visits by detainees to Kosovo have been ordered by the judges of the Specialist Chambers and managed by the court, for example for a detainee to visit a sick relative or to pay their respects and spend time with close family members after the death of a relative.

When a detainee makes a request of this nature, the judge or judges dealing with the case assess all of the circumstances at the time that the request was made with the urgency and compassion that situations such as this one require. They decide based on the KSC’s legal framework and international human rights standards.

At the moment, the court is not able to provide information about any specific request or decision in relation to Mr. Thaci. This is because requests by a detainee and the decisions on those requests are always initially confidential for reasons that include privacy and operational security. After a humanitarian visit is completed, the judges typically reclassify these documents so that the public can be informed in more detail. It is also important to emphasize that while such visits, when ordered by the judges, are organized as quickly as possible, this can take some time, requiring close coordination with a number of actors, and complex logistical arrangements, including flights and security.

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

Due to compelling humanitarian grounds, the Trial Panel and the Pre-Trial Judge have instructed the Registry to manage a custodial visit to Kosovo for Hashim Thaçi to be with his father. During this custodial visit, the accused remains in detention and in the custody of the Specialist Chambers.

Another KSC weekly press briefing will take place on Thursday, 13 March, 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.

As indicated in the Registrar’s notification made public earlier this month, Sophie Menegon has already been appointed as Hashim Thaçi’s lead counsel in the case concerning administration of justice charges against him, Smakaj, Kilaj, Fazliu and Kuçi. Prior to that, the Pre-Trial Judge approved the withdrawal of Thaçi’s former lead counsel Nina Tavakoli and that decision is now made public in our Public Court Records.