The Kosovo Council of Ambassadors has expressed concern and indignation over the first-instance verdict against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, delivered by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers on September 16, 2026.
In a statement, the Council said the process leading to the verdict requires critical scrutiny, pointing to the lengthy period of pre-trial detention and proceedings, the special structure of the Specialist Chambers, as well as the use of the concept of a “joint criminal enterprise” and circumstantial conclusions in determining individual responsibility.
According to the Council, these issues raise serious questions about due process and proportionality. It also said it was not convinced that the standard of proof beyond a reasonable doubt had been met.
“Kosovo accepted an extraordinary judicial mechanism in the name of justice and the rule of law,” the statement said.
The Council said the people of Kosovo are disappointed that the Specialist Chambers have not met expectations regarding justice, evidentiary rigor and judicial integrity.
The statement also recalled that the Kosovo Liberation Army emerged after years of repression, persecution and violence against the people of Kosovo, describing the war as a struggle for survival and freedom that ultimately led to international intervention.
“The verdict was pronounced ‘in the name of the people of Kosovo,’ but the broad reaction in Kosovo has been clear, and we share it: Not in our name,” the Council said.
The Council called for a rigorous appellate review of the legal reasoning and evidentiary standards applied in the case and urged Kosovo’s institutions to closely examine the remaining stages of the proceedings.
It also called on citizens to respond with calm, dignity and restraint, emphasizing that their voices should be heard clearly and peacefully.
“The Council stands with Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi and their families,” the statement concluded.
The first-instance judgment is not final and can be appealed.
