The Single Trial Judge has scheduled the pronouncement of the trial judgment in the case of the Specialist Prosecutor v. Hashim Thaçi, Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj, Fadil Fazliu and Hajredin Kuçi for 17 November 2026 at 10:00 CET.
The hearing will be public and can be followed in Albanian, English or Serbian through the streaming page of the KSC website, or from the public gallery at the premises of the court.
To attend the hearing from the public gallery, pre-registration is required.
Journalists who would like to record the hearing from the media centre are also kindly asked to pre-register.
To pre-register, please send an email to [email protected] with your name, citizenship, date of birth and passport or ID number, subject line “Trial Judgment”.
Media are kindly asked to provide a scan of their press card and to indicate whether they wish to follow the hearing from the public gallery or from the media centre.
The deadline for pre-registration is 27 October 2026 at 16:00.
Please note that your place is only confirmed once you have received a confirmation email. Confirmation emails will be sent two weeks before the date of pronouncement of the judgment.
The audio-visual recording of the pronouncement of the judgment will be made available on the KSC webpage and YouTube Channel.
Any journalists may contact the Press Office with questions at [email protected]. In addition, the spokespersons of the KSC hold a regular weekly online press briefing for journalists at 14:30 on Thursdays at which journalists can ask questions.
Any journalists wishing to join the press briefing online should write to [email protected] and we will send you the link.
Case History and Summary of Charges
The indictment against the five accused was confirmed on 29 November 2024 and made public on 6 December 2024. An amended confirmed indictment was filed on 16 April 2025.
According to the indictment, between at least 12 April 2023 and 2 November 2023, during separate, unprivileged visits to the Detention Facilities, Hashim Thaçi provided Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj, and Fadil Fazliu with confidential information about Prosecution witnesses, and attempted together with them, as well as other uncharged individuals, to influence the testimony of certain witnesses for the purpose of obstructing official duties to be performed by KSC officials. The indictment also alleges that Mr Thaçi agreed with Mr Kuçi that the latter should contact Prosecution witnesses in the Thaçi et al. war crimes trial, contrary to an order prohibiting them to do so except in accordance with certain procedures. Mr Kuçi is further alleged to have contacted another Prosecution witness on his own.
Hashim Thaçi is charged with three counts of Attempted Obstruction of Official Persons in Performing Official Duties, four counts of Violation of Secrecy of Proceedings and four counts of Contempt of Court.
Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj and Fadil Fazliu are each charged with one count of Attempted Obstruction of Official Persons in Performing Official Duties and one count of Contempt of Court.
Hajredin Kuçi is charged with two counts of Contempt of Court.
On 5 and 6 December 2024, Isni Kilaj, Bashkim Smakaj and Fadil Fazliu were arrested and transferred to the Detention Unit of the Specialist Chambers. Hashim Thaçi was served with an arrest warrant at the Detention Facilities, while Hajredin Kuçi was summoned to appear for an initial appearance. On 3 December 2025, the Single Trial Judge ordered Isni Kilaj’s conditionally released, followed by an order for Bashkim Smakaj and Fadil Fazliu’s conditional release on 3 February 2026.
The trial started on 27 February 2026, and the presentation of evidence took place between 27 February and 5 August 2026. The Single Trial Judge declared the case closed on 14 September 2026, following closing statements.
More information about the case is available on the Thaçi et al. Case Page.