Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama criticized the trial of former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders at The Hague and lobbied U.S. President Donald Trump during the inaugural meeting of the Peace Board in Washington, framing the case as a “maskerade of justice,” according to his podcast remarks on “Flasim.”
Rama said he conveyed Albania’s national concern over what he described as the “unbelievable miscarriage of international justice” against former KLA leaders, including former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi, and criticized the court’s request for 45-year sentences as “harsh.”
According to sources, he reportedly has highlighted to Trump the parallels between the prosecution at The Hague and the cases brought against Trump in the United States by Special Counsel Jack Smith, who also serves as a prosecutor in The Hague tribunal.
“The visit to Washington for the Peace Board’s inaugural meeting was undoubtedly the most significant event of this week. Albania proudly joined a table where a new chapter in global governance is being opened as a founding member of the Peace Board,” Rama said, while highlighting Albania’s participation in international stabilization efforts in Gaza.
Political analysts note that Rama’s remarks, including lobbying Trump on the trial, could resonate with nationalist audiences in Kosovo and Albania but may raise questions about the use of international diplomacy to influence ongoing judicial proceedings. Observers caution that portraying legal outcomes as politically motivated, particularly linking them to unrelated domestic prosecutions in the U.S., risks undermining the perception of judicial independence.
Jack Smith, a U.S. Special Counsel, in the period of 2020-2024 has been leading federal investigations and prosecutions involving then-former President Donald Trump. Previously, Smith also served as a prosecutor in the Hague tribunal cases against former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) leaders, including Hashim Thaçi, for alleged war crimes during the Kosovo conflict. This dual involvement has been cited politically, with some actors, including Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, highlighting Smith’s role in both cases while lobbying Trump, raising questions about perceived bias or the international justice system’s consistency.