A video has been published, containing an image with the caption "THE HAGUE COURT REJECTS ALL CHARGES AGAINST THE KLA LEADERS – SO THEY SHOULD BE RELEASED SOON".
it CONTENT was published on Monday (September 21) on Facebook, by a page called "Albanian Diaspora in France".
What's wrong with the content?
The claim presented is not confirmed.
As of the time of writing, this content has 370 likes and nearly 20 comments.
The caption does not specify which court case it is referring to. However, the mention of the Court in The Hague and “KLA leaders” implies that the claim refers to the case against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi, against whom the Special Court in The Hague issued its first-instance verdict on September 16, 2026.
Hibrid.info checked the website of the Specialist Chambers and the Special Prosecutor's Office (see here).
Latest announcements Officials of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers do not confirm this claim. On 16 September 2026, the Trial Panel issued its first-instance verdict against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi, finding all four guilty of war crimes, including unlawful or arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder. Thaçi and Krasniqi were sentenced to 25 years in prison each, Veseli to 18 years, and Selimi to 13 years in prison (see here).
The Trial Chamber, however, found the accused not guilty of the charges of crimes against humanity, after finding that the Prosecution had not proven beyond reasonable doubt the existence of a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population.
Then the research into the claim continued through kerkimit in the Google search engine. At the top of the displayed results, the AI Overview block was opened, which assessed the claim sought to dismiss the charges as completely incorrect and presented the September 16, 2026 verdict of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers for the former KLA leaders, presenting details on the sentences and next steps.
Below it, the results showed news reports that reported on the decisions of the Hague Tribunal and accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Judicial proceedings in the Specialist Chambers
According to law For the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor's Office, the judicial procedures provide for three levels. In the first level, the Trial Panel receives and pronounces the verdict, and imposes the sentence on the persons found guilty.
This judgment may be appealed to the Court of Appeals Panel, which reviews issues relating to errors of law, errors of fact that have caused a miscarriage of justice, or errors in sentencing. The appeal procedure does not constitute a new trial.
In cases specified by law, the Appeals Court's judgment may also be appealed to the Panel of the Supreme Court, which constitutes the third instance. This possibility is provided for, among other things, when the Appeals Court changes an acquittal to a conviction or when a life sentence has been imposed.
This means that the judgment announced on 16 September 2026 does not constitute the end of all judicial proceedings. The convicted persons have the right to appeal against the first instance judgment, while the appeal procedure may lead to the confirmation, reversal or revision of the judgment, in accordance with the conditions set out in the law. However, the existence of the right to appeal does not mean that the charges have been dismissed or that the convicted persons have been released and will soon be released from prison.
Analyze
The claim that the Court in The Hague has dropped all charges against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi and that they will soon be free is unfounded.
Hibrid.info has checked the announcements and official documents of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers regarding the verdict announced on September 16, 2026. The Trial Panel found all four defendants guilty of several war crimes and imposed prison sentences on them.
Meanwhile, the September 16 verdict is a first instance verdict and, according to the law, can be appealed to the Court of Appeals Panel.
However, the possibility of filing an appeal does not mean that the charges have been dropped or that the convicted will be released soon.
Therefore, based on its work methodology, hibrid.info assesses the content as "Fake News".
rationale
The “Fake News” rating is given to informational content that is entirely fabricated or that contains factually incorrect claims or information. Content that is rated as fake news can be defined as having been created and distributed with the intent to misinform the public, i.e., to present a claim that is completely false as fact.