The Hague Court: Judgment in case against former KLA leaders to be delivered on September 16

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague have announced that the judgment in the case against former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi will be delivered on September 16.

The judgment had originally been scheduled for July 20.

The Trial Panel explained that, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, it considered a further extension to be absolutely necessary due to the complexity of the case and the volume of evidence that must be assessed.

The Panel heard evidence from approximately 270 witnesses (both orally and in writing), admitted 5,467 exhibits into evidence, and the trial transcript comprises 29,238 pages.

Accordingly, the Panel found that an extension was justified in order to ensure a fair, comprehensive, and well-reasoned assessment of the evidence, as well as the preparation of a reasoned written judgment that accurately reflects the trial record, the statement said.

The judgment will be delivered on September 16 at 10:00 a.m. The hearing will be public and may be followed via the Kosovo Specialist Chambers' website in Albanian, Serbian, and English, or from the public gallery at the court building.

Former KLA leaders Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi have been detained in The Hague since November 2020, where they are standing trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.