The Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) has submitted a draft law to the Kosovo Assembly proposing changes to the legal framework governing the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, including the transfer of the Supreme Court function from The Hague to Kosovo and the establishment of an international oversight mechanism.
The initiative was submitted on Monday, September 21, following the September 16 trial judgment in the case against former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi. The Specialist Chambers found all four criminally responsible for several war crimes and imposed prison sentences ranging from 13 to 25 years.
One of the main changes proposed by the PDK concerns the Supreme Court function within the Specialist Chambers. Under the proposal, the relevant Supreme Court proceedings would be conducted in Kosovo rather than The Hague.
The draft also proposes establishing a more clearly defined mechanism for international oversight of the Specialist Chambers and their functioning. PDK says the initiative is intended to strengthen compliance with Kosovo’s Constitution, domestic legislation, international justice standards and fair-trial guarantees.
PDK leader Bedri Hamza said the initiative does not seek to abolish the Specialist Chambers or prevent investigations and proceedings falling within their mandate. He said the proposed changes would instead clarify the limits of the court’s mandate and powers.
Hamza also said that, under the proposed framework, proceedings already underway would continue through the appeals stage. If a case were subsequently returned for retrial, the proposed rules would provide for proceedings to be transferred to Kosovo under the new jurisdiction, according to the PDK leader.
The proposal comes amid renewed debate in Kosovo over the legal framework and oversight of the Specialist Chambers following the September 16 judgment. Separately, Kosovo’s Ombudsperson Institution has raised concerns about transparency, accountability and democratic oversight in its 2025 annual report, while emphasizing the need for procedural guarantees and fair-trial standards.
The Specialist Chambers were established under Kosovo’s constitutional and legal framework and operate in The Hague under arrangements involving Kosovo, the European Union and the Netherlands. Any substantial changes to their mandate therefore involve constitutional and international-law considerations in addition to amendments to ordinary legislation.
