U.S. President Donald Trump has suspended the security clearances of attorneys who assisted former Special Counsel Jack Smith in investigating him. Experts suggest this move could have implications for the work of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) in The Hague.
Licensed lawyers from the Specialist Chambers have drawn parallels between Trump’s actions against Smith and the ongoing trials of former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders, including Hashim Thaçi.
Attorney Skënder Musa believes Trump’s decision signals broader scrutiny of Smith’s legal approach, including at The Hague. Meanwhile, legal expert Ardian Bajraktari notes that Smith’s prosecution of Thaçi coincided with the former Kosovo president’s planned visit to the U.S., raising questions about political motivations.
However, Astrit Kolaj from the Kosovo Institute for Justice argues that there is no direct link between Trump’s move and the trials in The Hague.
Smith, who led the prosecution of Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi, resigned from his role at the KSC in November 2022.
