Donald Trump’s former envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, has slammed the ongoing detention of ex-Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, calling for his immediate release from The Hague.
Thaçi, hailed by many as the founding father of Kosovo, has been behind bars since 2023, facing war crimes charges. But Grenell says his imprisonment is a “grave injustice” and took aim at the European-backed tribunal responsible for his trial.
‘This wrongful imprisonment must end!’
Grenell’s fiery comments came as Kosovo marked 17 years of independence. Instead of celebrating in Pristina, Thaçi remains locked up, accused of leading a “joint criminal enterprise” during the Kosovo war in the late 1990s.
“The Europeans have failed to act for five years,” Grenell blasted, also taking a swipe at Kosovo’s own leaders for not pushing back against the tribunal’s actions.
The Specialist Chambers, based in The Hague, were created to prosecute crimes allegedly committed by Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) fighters. Funded mainly by the EU, the court is widely resented by many in Kosovo, who see it as an attack on their struggle for freedom from Serbian rule.
Trump prosecutor linked to Thaçi’s case
In a twist, Grenell tagged ex-Special Prosecutor Jack Smith in his message—the same Jack Smith who left the tribunal in 2022 to pursue criminal investigations against Donald Trump in the US.
Trump and his allies have long criticized Smith, and Grenell’s attack on the tribunal adds fuel to the fire. Could Thaçi’s case become a flashpoint in US-Kosovo relations?
The court declined to comment when asked about Grenell’s claims. Meanwhile, Kosovo’s government has yet to respond to the heated demand for Thaçi’s release.
