Hashim Thaçi

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers confirmed an indictment against Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi in October 2020. The operative indictment contains six counts of crimes against humanity — persecution, imprisonment, other inhumane acts, torture, murder and enforced disappearance — and four counts of war crimes — unlawful or arbitrary arrest and detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder — concerning alleged acts between March 1998 and September 1999. Thaçi resigned from the presidency and was transferred to The Hague. The trial opened in April 2023; the evidence phase closed and final submissions took place in February 2026.

Attribution

Accused

In separate proceedings, Thaçi was accused of offences against the administration of justice connected with detention visits during which he allegedly disclosed confidential information about witnesses and gave instructions intended to influence their testimony. The trial began on 27 February 2026; the prosecution closed its case on 13 March, the evidentiary phase ended on 5 August and final submissions took place from 10 to 14 September 2026.

Attribution

Accused

In 2018, Thaçi advocated a 'border correction' as part of a final agreement with Serbia, particularly concerning the Preševo Valley. Many officials interpreted the debate as potentially opening the way to an exchange of territories along ethnic lines, provoking strong opposition in Kosovo, the Balkans and among several Western diplomats.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

Thaçi participated in the EU-facilitated dialogue leading to agreements in 2015 granting greater collective powers to Serb-majority municipalities. Vetëvendosje and other opposition figures denounced the risk of internal partition of Kosovo and repeatedly disrupted Parliament with tear gas.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

Thaçi was elected President of Kosovo by Parliament in February 2016 after several rounds of voting, while the opposition boycotted or disrupted the session with tear gas and demonstrators confronted police outside. His opponents linked the protests to agreements with Serbia and Montenegro and his longstanding political dominance.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Directly implicated

In 2014, the EU Special Investigative Task Force announced that it had sufficiently serious evidence concerning an alleged campaign of persecution, abductions and murders attributed to certain senior KLA leaders to consider bringing charges. Regarding the highly publicised organ-trafficking allegation, prosecutor Clint Williamson reported compelling indications that acts may have occurred on a very limited scale, but insufficient evidence at that stage to prosecute this specific offence.

State of the evidence

Documented

The report by Swiss parliamentarian Dick Marty, adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, described a group of KLA leaders linked to the Drenica area and named Thaçi in extremely serious allegations involving organised crime, disappearances, executions and, in a limited number of alleged cases, organ removal. Thaçi's government rejected the report as defamatory.

State of the evidence

Allegations

Attribution

Directly implicated

The December 2010 parliamentary elections, won by Thaçi's PDK, were marked by serious suspicions of irregularities in several municipalities, particularly party strongholds, with abnormally high turnout and reported cases where the number of ballots exceeded registered voters. Voting had to be repeated at some polling stations.

State of the evidence

Documented

Hashim Thaçi, then one of the KLA's main political representatives, played a central role in the Albanian delegation at the Rambouillet negotiations. The talks revealed major differences between the KLA's armed approach, more moderate representatives associated with Ibrahim Rugova and Western mediators. Thaçi initially resisted several elements of the proposal before the Kosovo delegation signed the agreement in March 1999.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility

At the end of the war, Thaçi presented himself as prime minister of a KLA-linked provisional government, while Ibrahim Rugova and the LDK claimed legitimacy from parallel institutions and clandestine elections. The rivalry fuelled a power struggle in which the KLA quickly sought to occupy Kosovo's local institutional structures.

State of the evidence

Documented

Attribution

Political responsibility