Live update

On 19 December 2025, the Supreme Court Panel, composed of Judges Ekaterina Trendafilova (presiding), Christine van den Wyngaert and Daniel Fransen, dismissed Kadri Veseli’s request for protection of legality, which had been filed confidentially in November 2025. The request concerned the Court of Appeals Panel’s decision of 13 August 2025, which upheld the Trial Panel’s denial of Veseli’s request for provisional release.

As announced in our Calendar, the winter court recess at the KSC begins on Monday, 22 December 2025 and ends on 9 January 2026. During this period, no hearings are held and some non-essential services are reduced to a minimum. However, the court remains fully functional during this period and work continues across all sections of the KSC. Filings are possible during the recess and, unless otherwise ordered by the judges, judicial deadlines continue running.

On 18 December 2025, the Trial Panel in the case against Thaçi, Veseli, Selimi and Krasniqi announced the closure of the evidentiary proceedings. The Panel reiterated its earlier directions that the final trial briefs and the statement on the impact of the alleged crimes on participating victims are to be filed by 19 January 2026. It also set the agenda for the closing statements, scheduled to take place from 9 to 13 February 2026, with 16 and 18 February reserved if needed.

Prior to this decision, the Panel denied the SPO’s request to present rebuttal evidence, finding that the requirements for the admission of such evidence had not been met. The Panel also denied the Defence request for leave to appeal its earlier decision rejecting a separate sentencing procedure, confirming that any sentencing, if applicable, will be addressed together with the Trial Judgment. 

Here is the transcript of today's KSC Weekly Press Briefing.

On 11 December 2025, the President of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova, decided not to commute or modify Haxhi Shala’s sentence following his service of two-thirds of it.
Further information is available in the press release, published today.

Here is the transcript of today's KSC Weekly Press Briefing.

Following its decision ordering the continued detention of Veseli, Selimi and Krasniqi, as previously announced here, the Trial Panel, on 10 December, ordered the continued detention of Hashim Thaçi.
As with the other accused, the Panel found that the risks that he may obstruct the progress of the proceedings or commit further offences continue to exist.

On 10 December 2025, Isni Kilaj was provisionally released in Kosovo, subject to conditions, following the most recent detention review by the Single Trial Judge in the case of The Specialist Prosecutor v Hashim Thaçi, Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj, Fadil Fazliu and Hajredin Kuçi. 
Further information is available in the press release, published today.

On 5 December 2025, the Court of Appeals Panel granted, by majority, one aspect of Mustafa’s appeal against the Single Judge’s decision of 16 July 2025 concerning the payment of interest in relation to the Reparation Order. The Panel found, with a partially dissenting opinion by Judge Picard, that, by ordering post-judgment interest on the unpaid portion of the compensation, the Single Judge acted outside the scope of his competence, and therefore reversed the decision insofar as it concerned the application of interest and the related reporting obligations.
More details can be found in the public redacted version of the decision, available here.

On 5 December 2025, the Court of Appeals Panel denied Fadil Fazliu’s appeal against the Pre-Trial Judge’s fifth decision ordering his continued detention, issued on 3 October 2025.
In the meantime, as announced yesterday, the Single Trial Judge has issued the sixth decision extending Fazliu’s detention.