Kosovo’s former president, Hashim Thaçi, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison on September 16 in the war crimes trial, could face another sentence in the case related to obstruction of justice.
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In this case, the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office has requested a six-year prison sentence, insisting that any new sentence be served after the one handed down in the main trial.
Acceptance of this request would bring the combined total of the two possible sentences for Thaçi to 31 years. However, this is only a possible scenario, as the decision depends on the court and any potential appeals.
The trial for obstruction of justice concluded on September 14, while the court has not yet announced the date on which the verdict will be delivered.
In its final submission in the case known as Case 12, the Prosecution requested that the period of pretrial detention not be deducted twice from the possible sentences.
According to its argument, Thaçi is in detention on the basis of two separate arrest warrants. The first is related to the main trial and dates back to November 2020, while the second was issued in November 2024 in connection with the obstruction of justice case.
Referring to the practice of international courts, the Prosecution argues that the same period spent in pretrial detention may be taken into account only once.
For this reason, it has requested that the time spent in pretrial detention be counted only toward the sentence in the main trial and not deducted from any sentence imposed in the second case.
Hashim Thaçi’s defense has taken the opposite position, requesting that he be acquitted of all charges in the obstruction of justice trial.
During her closing statement on September 10, attorney Sophie Menegon challenged the Prosecution’s claims. She said the decision should be based on concrete evidence and not assumptions.
According to the defense, the Prosecution is seeking Thaçi’s conviction over conversations held at the detention center without proving that they had concrete consequences outside the institution.
The lawyers have challenged the way the Prosecution interpreted these conversations and asked the court not to find the former president guilty.
The Prosecution, on the other hand, maintains that attempts to influence the administration of justice constitute criminal offenses and that the charges against the defendants have been proven.
The court must first decide whether the charges of obstruction of justice have been proven. If Thaçi is found guilty, it will determine the sentence and how it is to be served, including the issue of calculating the period of pretrial detention.
The Prosecution has also requested three years in prison each for Bashkim Smakaj, Fadil Fazliu and Isni Kilaj, while it has requested nine months in prison for Hajredin Kuçi. Their defenders have requested that they too be acquitted of the charges.
The 25-year prison sentence handed down to Thaçi in the main trial has not yet become final.
For this reason, the figure of 31 years does not constitute a sentence imposed by the court, but represents the total of the two sentences only if the Prosecution’s request is fully accepted. / Bota Sot
