-
By:
Ardit Kika
- March 18 2025 19: 15
- Share to:
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague did not allow Hashim Thaçi to attend the funeral of his father, Haxhi Thaçi, on Tuesday. The Specialist Chamber's refusal has provoked major reactions. Justice Minister Albulena Haxhiu has demanded that the rights of the accused not be violated, and PDK leader Memli Krasniqi has written that with this, the Specialist Chamber has lost its way.
The decision of the Special Court in The Hague to prevent former President Hashim Thaçi from attending his father's funeral has prompted numerous reactions.
Haxhi Thaçi, the father of the former director of the Political Directorate of the KLA General Staff, was buried in Burojë, Skenderaj, on Tuesday.
The Minister of Justice, Albulena Haxhiu, through a letter addressed to the head of the Special Court, Ekaterina Trendafilova, has requested that the rights of Thaçi, accused of two cases, not be violated.
"We believe that the decision is unfair and, in light of the circumstances, should be reconsidered. I kindly ask you to convey my concerns and take immediate measures so that Mr. Thaçi's rights are not violated," Haxhiu's letter states.
Memli Krasniqi, chairman of PDK, the party that Thaçi has led for many years, has also reacted.
"A court where justice forgets the person is a court that has lost its way. Justice without empathy is just a cold, lifeless mechanism that serves neither the citizen nor society. History will not forget. Painful and unacceptable!", Krasniqi wrote on social networks.
Thaçi's lead lawyer, Luka Misetic, wrote on the X platform that his client's request to attend Tuesday's funeral was sent to the court on March 17 at 14:00 PM.
And in a statement by the Specialist Chambers on this issue, technical difficulties in the logistical organization of short-term visits were also mentioned.
“At this time, the court is not in a position to provide information regarding any specific request or decision in relation to Mr. Thaçi. This is because the requests of detainees and the decisions related to those requests are initially confidential for reasons of privacy and operational security. After the conclusion of a humanitarian visit, judges usually reclassify these documents so that the public can be informed in more detail. It is important to note that these visits, when ordered by judges, are organized as soon as possible, can take time, which requires close coordination of the actors, as well as complex logistical organization including flights and security,” the Special Court statement said.
Thaçi met his father for the last time on March 13, when he visited him at the University College of Kosovo.
On Tuesday, at the funeral, a wreath was also seen in Thaçi's name, which read: "In the hospital I said goodbye to you, father! From The Hague I say, goodbye to heaven!".
The Special Prosecutor has filed two indictments against the former president and former prime minister of Kosovo, for war crimes and for influencing witnesses.
Haxhi Thaçi died on Sunday night.
