16 - 22 September 2026 | Weekly Regional Briefing
The past week has been marked by significant developments in accountability, judicial independence and institutional governance across the Western Balkans.
The conviction of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi and three former KLA leaders represents a major international criminal law development, while legal challenges in Albania and Montenegro have brought judicial independence and constitutional review into focus. In Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, ongoing criminal proceedings continue to test institutional accountability.
Kosovo: Thaçi and Three Former KLA Leaders Convicted of War Crimes
On 16 September, the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague convicted Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi of war crimes including arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder. Thaçi and Krasniqi were each sentenced to 25 years, Veseli to 18 years and Selimi to 13 years.
The Trial Panel found the defendants criminally responsible for the detention of 385 people, cruel treatment of 49 people, torture of 303 people and the murder of 96 people. The defendants were acquitted of the crimes against humanity charges, with the Panel finding that the prosecution had not established the required widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population beyond reasonable doubt.
The first-instance judgment can be appealed.
Source: Kosovo Specialist Chambers
Kosovo: Political Debate Intensifies Over Specialist Chambers Following Verdict
Following the Thaçi judgment, Kosovo's Democratic Party is reported to have initiated parliamentary action to amend the law governing the Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor's Office.
The proposed changes come amid renewed political debate over the court's mandate and future role following the first-instance convictions. Any legislative attempt to alter the legal framework governing the Specialist Chambers is likely to attract significant institutional and international attention, given the court's basis in Kosovo law and its international judicial structure.
The development also highlights the continuing tension between domestic political responses to war crimes proceedings and Kosovo's obligations concerning accountability and the rule of law.
Albania: Judges and Prosecutors Challenge New Salary Law Before Constitutional Court
Albania's judicial and prosecutorial associations have announced that they will challenge Law No. 95/2026, which changes the framework for determining the salaries of judges and prosecutors.
The law was approved by Parliament on 18 September and immediately decreed by President Bajram Begaj after concerns that the previous legal framework had left judges' and prosecutors' salaries unresolved following a Constitutional Court decision earlier in 2026.
The associations argue that the new legislation was adopted through an unconstitutional procedure and have asked the Constitutional Court to suspend its implementation and ultimately repeal it. The dispute places judicial remuneration and the institutional guarantees of judicial independence back before the Constitutional Court.
Source: Albanian Daily News
Montenegro: Constitutional Challenge to Law Transferring Protected Property
Montenegro's President Jakov Milatović has submitted an initiative to the Constitutional Court challenging provisions of the Law on the Status of the Descendants of the Petrović Njegoš Dynasty.
The disputed provisions provide for the transfer of Kruševac Castle in Podgorica, together with associated land, into private ownership. Milatović argues that the provisions conflict with constitutional obligations concerning the protection of cultural heritage and with Montenegro's legislation governing state-owned immovable cultural property.
The President has also requested interim measures preventing any change in the ownership status of the property pending the Constitutional Court's final decision.
Source: MINA, Montenegro
Serbia: Generalstab Trial Continues Over Removal of Cultural Heritage Status
Proceedings continued before the Higher Court in Belgrade on 21 September in the Generalstab case, concerning allegations of abuse of office and falsification of official documents in connection with the removal of the protected cultural heritage status of the Generalstab complex.
Aleksandar Ivanović, acting director of the Belgrade City Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments, continued presenting his defence. Four defendants are on trial, including Culture Minister Nikola Selaković. The prosecution alleges that the defendants were involved in irregularities surrounding the removal of the complex from the register of protected cultural property.
The case remains significant for questions of public office, protection of cultural heritage and the potential criminal liability of senior public officials.
Source: N1 report via Gročanske Vesti
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Investigation Into Donja Jablanica Disaster Continues
Investigative activities continued in the Donja Jablanica case, concerning the 2024 disaster in which dozens of people died following floods and landslides.
On 17 September, the Federal Police Administration conducted further searches and evidence-gathering measures at the premises of legal entities in several cantons, under the supervision of the Federal Prosecutor's Office's Special Department for Corruption, Organised and Inter-Cantonal Crime.
The investigation is examining the circumstances surrounding the disaster and potential criminal responsibility. The latest measures indicate that the investigation remains active and that prosecutors are continuing to gather evidence concerning the actions of companies and public authorities.
Editor's Note
This week's developments underline a broader regional theme: accountability increasingly depends on the interaction between courts, prosecutors and constitutional institutions. From the international prosecution of wartime crimes in Kosovo to constitutional challenges concerning judicial independence in Albania and property rights in Montenegro, the region continues to test the strength of its legal institutions under significant political pressure.
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