The defense team of former President Hashim Thaçi continues to contest the legality of evidence submissions by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO).
Lead defense attorney Lluka Mishetiq has filed a counter-response demanding that the SPO halt the submission of evidence following the closure of the case against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi. Initially, on March 13, the defense requested that the panel order the Prosecutor not to submit additional evidence.
On March 25, SPO Chief Prosecutor Kimberly West rejected this request, stating that the disclosures complied with all criteria and “do not constitute the submission of pleadings or evidence.”
According to the SPO, the submissions are made in accordance with applicable disclosure obligations and do not violate Rule 136 of the Rules of Procedure and Evidence before the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.
However, on March 30, the defense responded, arguing that the SPO’s position was based on a “misinterpretation” of the rules and that, if left uncorrected, it would allow “continued violations of Mr. Thaçi’s right to a fair trial.”
In their filings, the defense emphasized that unilateral evidence submissions by the SPO could undermine the principle of equality of arms and the right to comment on evidence before the trial panel, as guaranteed under the European Convention on Human Rights (Brandstetter v. Austria), Article 31 of the Constitution of Kosovo, and decisions of the Constitutional Review Chamber of the Specialist Chambers.
Rule 136 of the Specialist Chambers’ Rules of Procedure and Evidence specifies that after closing statements, the trial panel declares the case closed. At this stage, no further submissions or evidence may be accepted except under exceptional circumstances with valid justification.
This dispute arises after the conclusion of the trial proceedings against the four former KLA leaders, which are now in the hands of the judges for a decision. Closing arguments in the Thaçi case began on February 9, 2026.
On February 18, the defendants delivered their statements, reaffirming their innocence on all charges brought by the SPO. The defense teams of Thaçi, Veseli, Selimi, and Krasniqi requested that the court find all four not guilty on all counts.
The SPO, meanwhile, has requested 45-year prison sentences for each of the former KLA leaders, citing allegations of war crimes.
The trial began on April 3, 2023, nearly three years after the indictment was confirmed, with the former KLA leaders held at the detention center in The Hague since then.
