The end of the case has once again been postponed. The proceedings concerning alleged obstruction of justice at the Specialist Chambers were not concluded on 19 June with the submission of final briefs, a date previously preferred by single judge Christopher Gosnell.
The Canadian judge extended the deadline following a specific request from Fadil Fazliu, whose defense team is facing health-related issues. However, the final written submissions have also been delayed due to issues involving the Prosecution’s key witness in the case, Koen Herlaar.
The court had previously rejected in full the testimony of an expert from the Netherlands Forensic Institute, who had claimed that documents found in the house of Isni Kilaj and in Bashkim Smakaj’s vehicle were printed by Hashim Thaçi. The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) appealed this decision, and the matter has not yet been resolved.
The new ruling is expected before 3 July, which is the updated deadline for final briefs.
“Parties must be ready to submit closing arguments after short notice due to the pending appeal decision. Submissions are expected no later than three working days after notification of the Appeals Chamber’s ruling,” judge Christopher Gosnell stated.
With this development, Gosnell has effectively pushed oral closing arguments in court until after the summer break, meaning they are now expected from 17 August 2026 onwards.
A verdict, under this timeline, could be reached by the end of the year. The decision will rely on several uncontested facts, where there is no longer any legal dispute between the defense teams of Thaçi, Smakaj, Kilaj, Fazliu and Kuçi, and the prosecution.
On Tuesday, the 10th package of agreed facts was published, including references to protected Prosecution witnesses such as Sokol Bashota, Ismet Tara, Demush Krasniqi and others, who stated that they were never contacted or pressured by anyone to influence their testimony during the trial.
