The verdict will be announced on September 16, Thaçi: I expect acquittal from all charges

2026-08-20 22:56:26Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
The verdict will be announced on September 16, Thaçi: I expect acquittal
Hashim Thaci

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi has stated that he expects to be found not guilty of all charges in the trial being conducted against him at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

"I expect to be acquitted of all charges. I have nothing to add to the arguments of the defense teams, as well as to my final statement in the courtroom," Thaçi declared in an interview for "RTV Dukagjini."

Asked if he regretted the initiative to establish the Special Court, Thaçi said that he did not regret this decision, but criticized the way in which, according to him, the will of Kosovo's institutions was used.

"No. But I would not believe that the will of the elected representatives of the people of Kosovo would be so brutally abused," Thaçi said.

Speaking about the claims of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office, Thaçi criticized the narrative on which, according to him, the indictment was built.

He said that this narrative, according to him, starts in the 1980s and continues until December 2000. Thaçi has also linked this to the report of former Swiss senator Dick Marty, claiming that it was the result of cooperation between Serbian and Russian officials at the Council of Europe.

"Surprisingly, the narrative of such claims begins in the eighties (at that time I was 11-12 years old) of the movement of the people of Kosovo for freedom. It continues until December 2000. It culminates with the Dick Marty Report, a narrative built on the already confirmed cooperation between Serbian and Russian officials in the Council of Europe," he stated.

Thaçi also said that the Specialist Chambers' decision could have an impact not only on his case, but also on the way international justice is conducted in the future.

The verdict for Thaçi and other former KLA leaders, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi, is expected to be announced on September 16.


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