After visiting Kosovo’s ex-President, Hashim Thaci, at the detention facilities of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama described the war crimes court as “the theatre of shame of international justice”

Rama, who has often criticised the Hague court, attacked it again on Facebook, claiming that Thaci had been “kidnapped without trial”.

He described the detention of Thaci since November 2020 as a “historic injustice from democratic Europe, with the blessing of European countries and the US, and with the funds of European and American taxpayer”.

Rama drove to the detention centre a day after his participation in a European Union summit with Western Balkans leaders in Brussels. In his Facebook post, he referred to Thaci as “the commander”, referencing his role as a wartime Kosovo Liberation Army official.

“I found the commander on form, calm and smiling like any innocent with an iron character, although with absurd restrictions on minimal rights that have been taken away from him,” Rama said.

He added he had talked with Thaci “about families, about mutual friends, about Albania and Kosovo”, but also about books he said he had brought Thaci when he first visited him at the detention centre in May 2022.

Thaci was indicted in October 2020. He resigned as Kosovo President in November 2020 to face the charges and was sent to The Hague with former parliament speakers Jakup Krasniqi and Kadri Veseli, and former MP Rexhep Selimi. They have been in detention ever since.

The four are charged with individual and command responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Kosovo war, including the murder of about 100 persons. They have all pleaded not guilty.

The Kosovo Specialist Chambers are part of Kosovo’s justice system but are based in The Hague with an international staff to ensure fair proceedings after witness intimidation problems in previous KLA-related cases. Many ethnic Albanians say the proceedings have been unfair to the defendants.

Many prosecution witnesses have testified behind closed doors to protect their identities due to fears of reprisals, but this has led to allegations of a lack of transparency.

A verdict in the case is due in spring 2026.