Lawyer explains the reasons for the postponement of the verdict and the effects of this delay

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague have announced that the verdict for four former KLA leaders — Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi — will be published on September 16, 2026, at 10:00.

The court explained that setting this date is linked to the large volume of evidence and the complexity of the procedure, which requires a full and well-reasoned review of the case.

Lawyer Blerim Bujrani also spoke about the postponement, assessing that the decision is precisely linked to the large amount of evidence and the need for the case to be analyzed carefully.

He stresses that the prolongation of proceedings and lengthy pretrial detention damage the credibility of the justice system, while expressing the expectation that the final decision will be acquittal.

“The court can make this postponement based on the volume of materials, testimonies and evidence that have been presented. The intention is to slow down the process of issuing the verdict for reasons of greater certainty in decision-making.

Second, the court is obliged to decide with a verdict within a proper timeframe, without deviation, meaning a reasonable procedural time as a principle of international justice or based on international human rights conventions. Therefore, basic human rights must not be violated.

This court has not really enjoyed any trust anyway, especially I am speaking about Kosovar professionals. This court has acted more as an international one than a domestic one.

Lengthy pretrial detention undermines the credibility of the judiciary in general. I think the verdict should have been announced earlier so that the other procedures could move forward properly, but what seems important now is for there to be an acquittal verdict, and that is why the defense or the lawyers for the parties are remaining silent. They want to see a normal acquittal decision, without problems and appeals in the other procedural stages,” he told the newspaper “Bota sot”.