The former president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, said that he will not declare about the new accusations of influencing the witnesses, since according to him he has not read the indictment in its entirety.

During the first appearance for the new case in the Specialized Chambers in The Hague, Thaçi said “quite suddenly 2-3 days ago” he was informed about the new indictment and he did not have time to discuss this document in essence with his defense team.

“All of a sudden, 2-3 days ago, I was notified of the new charge by the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office. I know that Kosovo is on the verge of general elections. But I am not part of the electoral race, I do not pose a danger to anyone.

Therefore, I ask even today – I respect and believe in the Constitution and the laws of Kosovo – from everyone, wherever you are sitting, on which side or in whatever uniform you are in this hall, to respect the Constitution and the laws of Kosovo”, said Thaçi.

The accused have a deadline of 30 days to declare about the charges brought against them.

“I still haven’t read them in their entirety, so I have to read them to understand them”, Thaçi said when asked by the judge if he had read the indictment.

After that, Thaçi explained that when he was first asked by the judge if he understood the charges against him, he did not understand the question well.

The judge asked the parties to set a date for Thaçi’s self-declaration. The defense said that it is agreed that on January 7, 2025, Thaçi will testify about the indictment.

During the senate, Thaçi said that he, his family and the Kosovar society are waiting for the end of the process against him and he said that he is waiting for justice.

On November 29, a new indictment was filed against Thaçi, the former Minister of Justice, Hajredin Kuçi, the former head of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, Bashkim Smakaj, the former mayor of Malisheva, Isni Kilaj, and Fadil Fazliu, which was public on December 6.

In the redacted version of the 15-page indictment, it is said that Thaçi met with the other four accused in the detention center in The Hague, where it is claimed that he gave them instructions on how to testify in the case against him.

On December 5, Kilaj, Smakaj and Fazliu were arrested and a day later they were sent to the detention center in The Hague. Meanwhile, the court has issued a summons to Kuç to appear before the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo, based in The Hague. Kuçi will make his first appearance before the court on December 9.

The indictment claims that criminal offenses against the administration of justice were committed from April 12, 2023 to November 2 of the same year, during non-privileged visits to the detention facility in The Hague between Thaçi and other accused persons.

In the new indictment, Thaçi is charged with three charges of attempting to obstruct official persons in the performance of official duties, by participating in the joint action of a group; four charges of breaching the confidentiality of proceedings, and four charges of disobeying the court.

Two former figures of the KLA Veterans Organization, Hysni Gucati and Nasim Haradinaj, have been convicted for obstructing justice until now.

The Special Court was established in 2015 by the Assembly of Kosovo and is part of the judicial system of Kosovo, but operates with international personnel and is headquartered in The Hague.

Fear of witness intimidation was one of the reasons why this Kosovo court is located in The Hague and not in Pristina.