THE HAGUE — Thaci is tried alongside three other former leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army: Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi. Prosecutors at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers have requested a maximum 45-year prison sentence for Thaci and the other defendants.

According to prosecutors, the defendants targeted political opponents and civilians perceived as collaborators and traitors during their time in the Kosovo Liberation Army. The court's jurisdiction covers alleged crimes committed by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army between 1998 and 2000, directed against ethnic minorities and political opponents.

Thaci, Veseli, Selimi, and Krasniqi have denied the charges against them. "Throughout my life, I stood with the people of Kosovo defending freedom, life and dignity. I was always guided by the Western ideals of democracy, equality and justice," Thaci told judges in February at the end of his nearly three-year trial.

Thousands of people rallied in Pristina over the weekend in support of the four defendants. Portraits of the four former Kosovo Liberation Army fighters and a digital clock counting down to the verdicts have been displayed across Pristina. A banner at the rally in Pristina read, "In the name of the people, declare them innocent." The staff at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers are largely international due to concerns about witness safety and security.

In 2022, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers convicted two leaders of a Kosovo war veterans’ association for intimidating witnesses by publicizing leaked confidential documents. Thaci faces a separate trial on charges of intimidating witnesses that is scheduled to begin later in September 2026.

Thaci returned from political exile in Switzerland to join Kosovo’s struggle for independence. He earned the nickname “the Snake” for his ability to evade Serb forces during the conflict. Western leaders invited Thaci to the 1999 peace talks in France in his role as political director of the Kosovo Liberation Army.

Thaci resigned as president of Kosovo to defend himself before the court in The Hague. Approximately 13,000 people died in the war in Kosovo, most of whom were ethnic Albanians. About one million ethnic Albanian Kosovars were driven from their homes during the war.

A 78-day campaign of NATO airstrikes against Serbian forces ended the fighting in Kosovo. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia refuses to recognize Kosovo's independence.

Timeline

The deadline for pre-registration to attend the hearing from the public gallery is Friday, 24 July 2026 at 18:00, as set by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.

The trial judgment in the case of the Specialist Prosecutor v. Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi is scheduled for 16 September 2026 at 10:00 CET, as stated by the Trial Panel of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.

International judges at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague will deliver verdicts in the war crimes trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

Why It Matters

The verdicts represent a development in the judicial process addressing the conflict that resulted in approximately 13,000 deaths and displaced about one million ethnic Albanian Kosovars. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers, established in 2016 as a separate institution with largely international staff, operates under a mandate to try crimes committed between 1998 and 2000.

The proceedings occur against a backdrop of political tension, with Serbia refusing to recognize Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence. The court previously convicted two leaders of a Kosovo war veterans’ association in 2022 for witness intimidation, reflecting ongoing security concerns that led to the international composition of the current judicial staff.