The Special Prosecution in The Hague is urging that former President Hashim Thaçi remain in pre-trial detention.
In its latest submission, the prosecution emphasized that a potential long-term sentence becomes more concrete as the trial approaches its conclusion.
“Thaçi is fully aware of the serious confirmed charges against him, the potential lengthy prison sentence, and now has full knowledge of the evidence related to these crimes. The likelihood of a long sentence becomes more concrete with the rapid progress of the trial. In addition, Thaçi now faces confirmed charges relating to obstruction of justice due to his efforts to interfere with proceedings and to commit further crimes. All of the above must be considered in light of prior findings regarding Thaçi’s means of flight,” the submission states.
The prosecution continues to argue, despite repeated judicial criticism, that Thaçi poses a high risk of obstructing the proceedings.
“Thaçi continues to present an exceptionally high risk of interfering with the proceedings. The Panel has reiterated that he has (i) the interest and capacity to interfere in the process; (ii) attempted to undermine the Specialist Chambers and offered benefits to individuals called by the SPO; (iii) a position of influence in Kosovo that could allow him to gain supporter backing; and (iv) detailed knowledge of the evidence supporting the serious charges against him,” the document adds.
The prosecution also alleges that Thaçi has expressed interest in disclosing confidential information to visitors, further complicating the proceedings. Concerns remain regarding the ongoing climate of witness intimidation:
“Moreover, the persistent climate of witness intimidation and interference in criminal proceedings against former KLA members in Kosovo continues, which the Appeals Chamber has recognized as a relevant ‘contextual consideration.’ Similar findings were made in the Mustafa case and in Gucati and Haradinaj. The panel noted, citing defense expert Robert Reid, that in over 20 years in this field, he had never seen witness intimidation at the level present in Kosovo,” the submission states.
Final statements in the trial of the KLA leaders are scheduled from February 9 to February 18, 2026.
