# Kosovo parliament backs first reading of bill restricting Specialist Chambers

Date: 2026

Kosovo lawmakers approved the first reading of a bill on 5 October 2026 that would restrict the Specialist Chambers. The proposal included a 15-year sentence cap, appeals to Kosovo's Supreme Court, service of sentences in Kosovo with pardon eligibility, and narrower temporal and offense limits. Prime Minister [Albin Kurti](/people/albin-kurti) backed the bill while calling the process rushed; his government had cleared it on 2 October. The court said it had not been consulted, while European Commission President [Ursula von der Leyen](/people/energy-ursula-von-der-leyen) had warned that [judicial independence](/drivers/justice-judicial-independence-erosion) must be guaranteed.

## People

- Albin Kurti: https://factrail.ai/people/albin-kurti

## Drivers

- Judicial independence erosion (court capture): https://factrail.ai/drivers/justice-judicial-independence-erosion
- Rule of Law: https://factrail.ai/drivers/rule-of-law

## Sources

- https://www.rferl.org/a/33870618.html

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/xk-parliament-backs-bill-curbing-specialist-chambers-2026-10-05