The Defence teams representing former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi have secured a six-week extension to prepare their appeals against the first-instance judgment of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
The Appeals Panel rejected the Defence request for an extension until December 15, 2026, instead setting November 27 as the deadline for the filing of notices of appeal. The Office of the Specialist Prosecutor did not oppose the request for an extension.
The Defence had cited the exceptional volume of the case file and the need to receive the trial judgment translated into Albanian. The Appeals Panel acknowledged that the size of the case presented a significant challenge, noting that the 2,089-page judgment is the longest judgment issued by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers to date.
However, the Panel did not consider the absence of an Albanian translation to be an obstacle preventing the Defence from preparing its appeals at this stage.
The Appeals Panel nevertheless recognized the accused’s right to receive the judgment in a language they understand and ordered the Registry to provide an update within 10 days on the status of the Albanian translation.
The Registry was also instructed to provide expected dates for the availability of both a preliminary, non-reviewed translation and the final official translation of the judgment.
The Panel said that developments concerning the translation would be addressed further during the pre-appeal conference.
Regarding the requested extension, the Panel found that granting an extension until December 15 would effectively triple the period provided for under the applicable rules and would therefore be disproportionate.
While acknowledging that the judgment is considerably longer than those issued in the cases involving Salih Mustafa and Pjetër Shala, the Panel said this did not justify a proportionally longer extension.
The Appeals Panel concluded that six additional weeks were appropriate and set November 27, 2026, as the deadline for both the Defence and the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office to file their respective notices of appeal.
The Panel also emphasized the need for strict procedural discipline because of the size and complexity of the case and the possibility that multiple appeals could be conducted simultaneously.
It warned the parties that formal requirements governing submissions before the Appeals Chamber would be applied strictly. Submissions that fail to meet those requirements will generally be considered only in exceptional circumstances, such as when a party demonstrates sufficient “good cause” or when the interests of justice require otherwise.
The Panel further stressed that the ability of the Appeals Chamber to assess a party’s arguments depends on those arguments being presented clearly, logically and comprehensively.
Appeals must clearly identify the findings being challenged and provide precise references to the relevant paragraphs of the judgment, transcript pages and cited jurisprudence. Where parties rely on documentary or other material evidence, they must also provide accurate details, including the date, exhibit number, page number and paragraph number where applicable.
The Panel warned that grounds of appeal failing to meet the formal requirements—particularly those that do not provide adequate reasoning or identify a clear ground of appeal—may be rejected in limine, meaning at the outset of the appeal proceedings.
The decision marks the first major procedural step in the appeal process following the first-instance convictions of Thaçi, Veseli, Krasniqi and Selimi. The Appeals Panel will ultimately consider the arguments raised by both sides before issuing its decision on the convictions and other matters challenged on appeal.
