Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi are expected to learn their fate on September 16, when the Kosovo Specialist Chambers is scheduled to deliver its first-instance verdict in the trial against them.
As the court prepares to announce its decision, another battle continues outside the courtroom—one over how the proceedings are interpreted and presented to the public.
In recent weeks, coverage of the Hague trial has intensified across parts of the Serbian media and political discourse.
These reports have focused on the former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders in connection with allegations of crimes against Serbs and other communities, allegations that the court is expected to assess in its forthcoming judgment.
According to legal and communications experts in Kosovo, the increased reporting ahead of the verdict has influenced public debate and shaped perceptions of the trial across different media environments.
“This is an extremely dangerous narrative, and we must find a way to respond to it, always hoping that such a narrative will not influence the court’s final verdict,” said Artan Qerkini, a lawyer accredited before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.
Qerkini argued that such interpretations should be met with fact-based responses grounded in the developments of the judicial process.
“We need to prioritize our responses based on the influence of the media outlets spreading such information. In any case, those media should receive an appropriate response,” he said.
The proceedings in The Hague have long been accompanied by political debate in Serbia, where several pro-government media outlets have framed the trial in line with Belgrade’s narrative regarding the Kosovo war and its aftermath.
According to Gurakuq Kuqi, an analyst at the Octopus Institute, this approach has been developed over the years and has been used to shape public perception of both the trial and the role of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.
The battle over competing narratives is being fought not only through media coverage but also through the financing of certain media outlets in Serbia.
According to an investigation by the Serbian media watchdog Cenzolovka, five pro-government Serbian tabloids received approximately 337.4 million Serbian dinars in public funding through a media co-financing scheme over the past ten years.
The investigation found that around €1.5 million of that funding came from the budget of the City of Belgrade.
Cenzolovka concluded that these public funds have strengthened several media outlets that have frequently been criticized for their reporting practices, including their coverage of issues related to Kosovo.
