On 27 February, the opening statements in the trial of Hashim Thaçi, Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj, Fadil Fazliu and Hajredin Kuçi will take place before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:30 and end at 16:00. It can be followed online in the three languages of the court, Albanian, Serbian and English, via the streaming function on the KSC website, with a 45-minute delay, or from the public gallery at the premises of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.
Pre-registration is required to attend the hearing from the public gallery at the premises in The Hague. To pre-register, please send an email to [email protected] with your name and indicate for which dates you want to pre-register. Journalists should mention the media outlet they represent and indicate if they also need seats in the media center.
Please note that your seat on the public gallery and in the media center is confirmed only once you receive a confirmation email.
Please note that the deadline to pre-register is 17:30 (CET) on Friday, 20 February.
For persons attending the hearing in the public gallery, please kindly be aware of the Rules of Conduct at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.
Case History
The initial indictment against the five accused was confirmed on 29 November 2024 and amended on 16 April 2025. This is the operative indictment in this case.
According to the confirmed indictment, between at least 12 April 2023 and 2 November 2023, during separate, unprivileged visits to the Detention Facilities, Hashim Thaçi provided Messrs Smakaj, Kilaj, Fazliu and Kuçi with confidential information about witnesses called by the prosecution in the Thaçi et al war crimes case, instructed them to influence the testimonies of the witnesses, and provided details about how to do so.
The indictment further alleges that Mr. Thaçi coordinated three distinct groups, formed with Messrs Smakaj, Fazliu and Kilaj, and other uncharged individuals, and with Mr. Kuçi, in an aim to interfere with the testimonies of witnesses called by the prosecution in the ongoing Thaçi et al war crimes trial.
Isni Kilaj was first arrested as a suspect on 2 November 2023, and provisionally released under strict conditions on 15 May 2024. Following confirmation of the indictment, on 5 and 6 December 2024, Isni Kilaj, Bashkim Smakaj and Fadil Fazliu were arrested and transferred to the KSC Detention Unit. Hashim Thaçi was served with an arrest warrant at the Detention Facilities, while Hajredin Kuçi was summoned to appear for an initial appearance. All five accused plead not guilty.
The Prosecution filed their pre-trial brief on 19 September 2025. Mr. Smakaj, Mr. Thaci and Mr. Fazliu filed their pre-trial briefs on 19 and 20 October 2025. The case was transferred to a Single Trial Judge on 12 November 2025. Isni Kilaj was released on bail to Kosovo for a second time pursuant to a decision of the Single Judge on 10 December 2025. Bashkim Smakaj and Fadil Fazliu were released on bail on 10 February 2026 pursuant to a decision by the Single Judge.
Following the opening statements, the Prosecution will start presenting their case.
The date and time for all scheduled public hearings can be found on the court calendar on the website of the KSC. Any eventual changes to the scheduled hearings announced in this advisory will be reflected in the calendar. Recordings of public hearings are made available on the KSC YouTube channel.