Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi could face a second six-year prison sentence in the trial for obstructing justice, in addition to the 25-year sentence handed down on September 16 in the main war crimes case.
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The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office has requested that any such sentence be served after the completion of the sentence in the main case. If the request is granted, the total sentence would amount to 31 years in prison.
However, this figure remains only a possibility, as the decision depends on the court’s position and any possible appeal proceedings.
In its final submission in Case 12, the Prosecution also requested that the time Thaçi has spent in pretrial detention not be deducted twice from the sentences.
According to its argument, Thaçi has been held in pretrial detention on the basis of two separate arrest warrants: the first relates to the main trial and dates back to November 2020, while the second was issued in November 2024 in the case involving obstruction of justice.
Referring to the practice of international courts, the Prosecution stated that the same period of pretrial detention may be taken into account only once.
For this reason, it is requesting that the time spent in pretrial detention be deducted only from the sentence in the main trial and not also applied to any potential sentence in the second case.
Hashim Thaçi’s defense has taken the opposite position, requesting that he be acquitted of all charges brought in the trial for obstructing justice.
During her closing statement on September 10, attorney Sophie Menegon said the decision should be based on evidence, not speculation.
According to the defense, the Prosecution is seeking Thaçi’s conviction over conversations held at the detention center without proving that they had produced any concrete consequences outside the institution.
The defense has challenged the way the Prosecution interpreted these conversations and asked the court not to find the former president guilty.
The Prosecution, meanwhile, insists that attempts to interfere with the administration of justice constitute criminal offenses and that the charges against the defendants are supported by evidence.
The court must first assess whether the charges of obstructing justice have been proven. If Thaçi is found guilty, it will determine the sentence and how it is to be served, including the treatment of the period spent in pretrial detention.
In the same trial, the Prosecution has requested three-year prison sentences for Bashkim Smakaj, Fadil Fazliu and Isni Kilaj, while it has requested a nine-month prison sentence for Hajredin Kuçi. Their defense lawyers have also requested that their clients be acquitted of the charges.
The trial for obstructing justice concluded on September 14, while the court has yet to announce the date for the verdict.
Meanwhile, the 25-year prison sentence imposed on Thaçi in the main trial has not yet become final.
Consequently, the 31 years are merely the sum of two potential sentences if the Prosecution’s request is fully accepted and do not constitute a sentence imposed by the court. / Bota Sot
