"Unfortunately, only two of these will be released on September 16th. There will be unrest in our country from within and without. We ask you, honorable citizens, not to gather in large crowds on the 16th because there will be civil war."
This is the caption of an image published on Monday (September 14) on TikTok, showing former KLA leaders, who are accused in the Hague trial of crimes against humanity (see here).
What is the truth?
The date for the announcement of the verdict against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selim and Jakup Krasniqi has been set for September 16, but the outcome of the trial has not yet been announced.
As of the time of writing, the content in question has received over 66 thousand views, over 340 likes, and over 40 comments.
Hibrid.info checked the website of the Specialist Chambers and the Special Prosecutor's Office. There, it found the announcement of the date of the announcement of the verdict in the trial against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi (see here).
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers announced that this verdict will be pronounced on 16 September 2026, at 10:00 a.m. According to the official announcement, the Trial Panel had set this date taking into account the volume of evidence and the complexity of the trial, as well as the need for a full and reasoned assessment of the evidence.
In the announcement, the court indicated the date of the announcement of the verdict and not its outcome.
Also, in further research, none of the official sources of this institution disclose in advance the content of the verdict (see here).
Hibrid.info has checked Law on Specialized Chambers and the Office of the Specialized Prosecutor and noted that under Article 43 (Judgment) of the Law on Specialist Chambers, the Trial Panel is the sole competent authority to adopt and pronounce judgments, as well as to impose sentences on persons found guilty of crimes within the jurisdiction of this court.
This article clearly stipulates that the judgment is taken by the majority of the judges and is announced publicly, accompanied by written reasoning and relevant opinions.
Whereas, Article 31 (Independence of judges) of this law, establishes that the judges of the Specialized Chambers enjoy complete independence in the exercise of their functions, acting exclusively in an individual capacity without allowing any type of interference or activity that undermines confidence in their impartiality.
This article explains that their decision-making is completely protected from any external influence or public speculation, which makes any claim that the outcome of the trial can be known or predicted from the outside completely unfounded and contrary to the very principles of judicial independence.
Institutional statements
Public announcements by the Kosovo Police and the US Embassy warned of large activities and demonstrations on September 16, the day when the verdict is expected to be announced in the trial in The Hague against former KLA leaders, as well as the possible consequences for traffic and public safety (see here and here).
In another announcement published on 14 September, the Kosovo Police announced that, in relation to the developments foreseen for 16 September, it has taken the necessary police measures to guarantee security, maintain public order and peace and ensure the smooth running of activities. The Police also announced that it has held coordination meetings with international institutions and partners and that, depending on developments, there may be temporary restrictions or interruptions to traffic on the affected roads (see here).
Meanwhile, on 14 September, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that the Alliance’s commitment to maintaining peace and security in Kosovo would remain unchanged, regardless of developments that may follow the verdict against the four former KLA leaders. Responding to a question about the possibility of violent unrest, Rutte stressed that KFOR would continue to contribute to stability and security in Kosovo, while NATO would continuously assess the composition and deployment of KFOR troops in line with the security situation (see here).
These institutional warnings relate to security measures and the management of the rallies announced for September 16, but cannot be interpreted as evidence that the outcome of the trial is known in advance. The decision against the four former KLA leaders will only be announced with the announcement of the verdict.
Analyze
An image posted on TikTok on September 14 shows former KLA leaders in The Hague, accompanied by the caption that "only two will be released" and that there will be "civil war."
The verification proves that the Specialist Chambers have only set the date for the pronouncement of the judgment (16 September 2026) and have not published any preliminary results, making the decision-making completely unknown and protected by law.
Meanwhile, the warnings from security institutions are just standard measures for managing gatherings.
Therefore, based on the working methodology, hibrid.info assesses the treated content as "Disinformation".
rationale
"Disinformation" is defined as information content that contains a "mix" of inaccurate sources or even half-truthful attributes, and that is created and/or distributed with the deliberate intention of causing harm. The motive behind the producers/distributors of disinformation content lies in achieving a political, financial, psychological or social goal.