New executional action, what happens in 2021 by the Special?

With 2 January, prosecutors and judges of the Specialised Chambers in The Hague complete the period of break, which has started since 21 December. Immediately after that date, they are expected to embark on intensive work with current and expected actions.

As of January, there has been developments at the Special Tribunal. On 8 January, the second session will be held since the establishment of the indictment against OVL Deputy Chairman Nasim Haradinaj. In this session, Nasim Haradinaj will be declared concerning his guilt or innocence.

The ongoing days of the preliminary procedure judge is expected to decide on the provisional release requirements that have already tabled the lawyers of former KLA leaders. Some of these requirements have already been made public by the Special, while others have not yet.

Such requests, which have already been made public, are those of former Thaci President Rexhep Selimi, Nasim Haradinaj and Hysni Gucati.

During the first days of 2021, the Special is expected to appoint another statuteial conference in the case of Thaci, Veselin, Selim, and Jakup Krasniqi.

Prior to the release of complete materials from the Specialised Prosecution, it is expected to be decided on the launch of the trial date, for which there is extremely much disagreement between defence and specialised Prosecution.

The defense requires that the trial begin sometime late in 2022 or early 2023, as the prosecution insists that this be done by September 2021. On the basis of the Specialised Prosecutor's request, it took just three months after the release of complete materials, to launch trial against former KLA leaders.

The 2021th is expected to be the period when lawyers will only start with their investigations. Professional investigators engaged in defence in the case of former KLA leaders in The Hague are expected to come to Kosovo.

So far, Kadri Wessel's defence has identified an expert and an international-expert investigator who will conduct investigations in Kosovo. However, this will not be the final composition of this team, as six investigative investigators will be expected to carry out this task of protecting Wessel altogether.

Also, another international expert will be involved to supervise the team.

Investigator teams will engage other lawyers, but they have not yet disclosed the details, because it is not clear when the trial will begin.

The trial this year will likely start with Hysni Gucatt's Nasim Haradinaj. This is because these two are not accused of war crimes but of criminal acts related to justice management. They are accused of publishing confidential documents that, on three occasions during the month of September, had arrived at their offices.

So the investigation into this part is expected to last much less, because the period since criminal acts were consumed is only a few days.

“can last even though these two have nothing to do with war crimes, this is another issue that has been called obstructing justice. Thus, procedures are not expected soon to develop. In these similar cases, there have been some two or three similar cases, nor have they been developed very quickly at The Hague Tribunal. So based on how it happened in the past, I believe that for the next five or six months, I don't think they can process it even if the processes were completed, he told us about the news. Our attorney, accredited by Special, Teki Bocshi.

Given this practice, therefore, since confirmation of the indictment, during the summer months, judgment is expected to begin against Hysni Gucati's Nasim Haradinaj.

And even in 2021 we can see shares of the EULEX Police and Special Investigations, as we had seen in 2020.

This is due to the fact that other names of former KLA leaders and former war fighters are mentioned in the charges now issued for war crimes.

“include other members of the NKP including KLA soldiers with nicknames "Tabuti", or Commander Tabuti), HINA V ELAU, REMI, CHArdani, Affliction and soldiers, police and other KLA guards present at the Zlach detention complex. Each of the NKP members, through their actions and inactions, contributed to the realization of the common goal. Otherwise, some or all of these individuals were not members of the NKP, but were used by members of the NKP in committing crimes, for the realisation of the joint goal”, the prosecution's indictment against Salih Mustafaf said.

The names of former commanders are also mentioned in the indictment of Thaci, Veselin Selim and Jakup Krasniqi.

It underlines the names of Fatmir Limaj, Mustaf Rrustem, Sabit Geci, Azem Syla, Sylejman Selimi, Lahi Ibrahimaj, Lahi Ibrahimaj and Latif Gashi.

However, no charge has been filed against any of them, even though most of them have been interviewed in the qualities of the suspects.