The Kosovo Council of Ambassadors has reacted with concern and indignation to the first-instance verdict against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, handed down by the Kosovo Specialist Chambers on 16 September 2026.

In a statement, the Council called for the judicial process to be critically examined. It highlighted the unusually lengthy detention and proceedings, the special organization of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, as well as the reliance on the concept of a “joint criminal enterprise” and on conclusions drawn from circumstances to determine individual responsibility.

According to the Council, these elements have raised significant concerns regarding guarantees of a fair trial and proportionality. The organization added that it was not convinced that the standard of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt had been met in this case.

“Kosovo accepted an extraordinary judicial mechanism in the name of justice and the rule of law,” the statement said.

The Council said that the people of Kosovo have been left disappointed because, in its view, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers have failed to meet expectations for justice, rigorous evaluation of evidence and the integrity of the judicial process.

The Council’s message also recalls the circumstances in which the Kosovo Liberation Army was created. It emerged after a long period of repression, persecution and violence against the people of Kosovo, as part of a struggle for survival and freedom that later led to international intervention.

“The verdict was announced ‘in the name of the people of Kosovo,’ but the widespread reaction in Kosovo has been clear, and we share it: Not in our name,” the statement continued.

The Council called for a detailed assessment during the appeals phase of the legal reasoning and the evidentiary standards applied in this case. At the same time, it urged Kosovo’s institutions to closely follow the further stages of the proceedings.

Citizens were urged to express their reactions calmly, with dignity and restraint, so that their voices could be heard clearly and peacefully.

“The Council stands with Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi and their families,” the statement concluded.

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