When will the trial of Thaci and others begin? Smith says this is the most appropriate date

At the conference on the progress of the case against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselini, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, the chairman of the court, Charles L Smith, has said the court remains convinced that March 1st 2023 is the most appropriate date to start the trial.

In this direction, the court has asked the SPS to hand over the list of the first 12 witnesses to be heard during the first two weeks or during the first three weeks if the number is greater, within February 1, 2023 at 1600.

“The SPS should present their name or nickname, the line of presentation, previous statements or transcripts of their testimony, whether witnesses the SPS will present will give the oral or complete testimony, and if the SPS wants to present their testimony and transliteration of evidence under 154 rule, cases, facts and circumstances that will be questioned, time for key questions, documents for material evidence that ZPS claims to use with each of the witnesses under the new number and safeguard clauses ordered for witnesses<1x> Judge Smith said.

Also, on February 17th, 2023 at 4: 00 p.m., the defense parties and the defense of the victims are ordered to report the court and other participants regarding SPS witnesses if they want to ask witnesses questions.

He further said that if they want to ask questions, they should report how long it will last, if they refuse to accept the witness's testimony under the 154 rule, and why they object to it, if they refuse to accept any of the documents or all the documents the SPS proposes to use with that witness and the reasons why this controversy is made.

The defence operations must consult each other on the nature and scope of counter-questioning in order not to have repeated questions”, the chairman of the panel added.

The defense of the victims has also been charged with announcing the juro and participants for witnesses who want to question by providing a general description of cases and testimony areas on which to ask questions.

The court has said that the presentation side has the responsibility to make it possible to conclude the testimony of the witness and to always have another willing witness if a proposed witness is unwilling to give the witness at the right time or if there is no counter-question, or they end up more quickly, in order not to delay the criminal process.

As for the order on the work language, the court has said that in line with paragraph 8.3 the English language will be the language of the work and that parties and participants should apply the pre-procedure judges' decision regarding the work language of November 11, 2020.

While regarding the development of the trial, he has indicated that it is currently a draft order that is in conclusion and in accordance with rule 116 paragraph 3, the draft judgment development will be distributed to the parties to investigate and to make claims once the court is complete.

The sides and the protection of the victims have been invited to make their submissions regarding this draft project -- dated January 13th, 2023 at 1600.

On the other hand, until February 8, 2023 at 4: 00 p.m., the SPS is invited to submit whether it wants a motion for non-literal evidence concerning -- material evidence or evidence list that it wants to use with the first 40 witnesses, materials or evidence SPS considers important to present its arguments more effectively.

Judge Smith has stressed that SPS is not obliged to do so, but I can do it if, in accordance with the rules, he thinks this will cut time in the hall.

On this protective side, it will be possible to respond within February 22, 2023 at 4: 00 p.m.

Also, the court ordered Z The SP, on January 13th, 2023, submits statements regarding the court's proposal to order the removal of all editorials in the indictment by January 30th 2023, and to issue protections of identity and undisputed materials, evidence involving the first 40 witnesses.

Otherwise, the Specialised Prosecutor's Office on September 30th has handed over the confirmed amended indictment against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselini, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, which consists of ten points of charges, where the latter are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. That, after the judge had partially approved Hashim Thaci's defence motion, submitted to the amended indictment in the case where he and Kadri Veselin, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi are being charged with war crimes, and the SPS was ordered to make changes to the amended indictment.

In this indictment, it is said that through actions and inactions described above, Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselini, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi, have conducted through their participation in a joint criminal enterprise and/or have assisted and promoted crimes charged in this indictment.

According to the prosecution, in addition to this or alternative, Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselini, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi are responsible for crimes committed by their subordinates.

At that point, the indictment says Thaci, Veselin, Selimi and Krasniqi either knew or had reason to know that the crimes charged in this indictment were ready to be committed or committed by their subordinates and had not taken necessary and reasonable measures to prevent such crimes or punish its authors.

“Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselini, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi individually criminalised for: point 1 persecution on political and/or ethnic grounds, crime against humanity, punishable according to Article 13 (1) (h), 16 (1) (a) and 16 (1) of the Law; Points 2: imprisonment, crime against humanity, punishable according to articles 13 (1) (e), 16 (1) (a) and 16 (1) (1) of the Law; point 3 unlawful or arbitrary detention, war crime, punishable according to articles 14 (1) (c), 16 (1) (a) (a) and 16 (1) (1) (c) of the Law”, is said in indictment by the prosecution.

At point 4, they are charged with other inhumane acts, crime against mankind, punishable according to articles 13 (1) (i), 16 (1) (a) and 16 (1) (c) of the Law, and 5 at 5 for cruel treatment, war crime, punishable according to articles 14 (1) (c) (i), 16 (1) (a) and 16 (1) (1) (c) of the Law.

“Pica 6: torture, crime against humanity, punishable according to articles 13 (1) (f), 16 (1) and 16 (1) law; Points 7: torture, war crime, punishable according to articles 14 (1) (c) (i), 16 (1) (a) and 16 (1) (c) of the Law; Point 8: : murder, crime against humanity, punishable according to articles 13 (1) (a), 16 (1) (a) and 16 (1) (c) of the Law; Point 9: murder, war crime, punishable according to articles 14 (1) (c) (i), 16 (1) (a) and 16 (1) (c) of the Law; Points 10: Forced disappearance of persons, crime against humanity, punishable according to articles 13 (1) (i), 16 (1) (1) (a) and 16 (1) (c) of the Law”, says the indictment.

On April 29th, the Specialised Prosecutor's Office had handed over a amended indictment to Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselin, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi.

The prosecution is claiming that the four defendants have committed war crimes even in Gjilan, Budakov and Semtish.

In the published annex concerning crimes allegedly taking place in Semetitish and Budakova, the prosecution has listed war crimes such as arrest and unlawful or arbitrary detention, cruel or inhuman treatment, torture, murder. Meanwhile, as crimes against humanity, he has listed imprisonment, other inhuman acts, torture, murder, the disappearance of people by force and persecution.

And for crimes claiming to take place in Gjilan, as war crimes, he has listed the arrest and illegal or arbitrary ban, cruel or inhuman treatment, torture and murder. While, as crimes against humanity, it has listed imprisonment, other inhumane acts, torture, murder, and persecution.

On November 9th 2020, in their first appearances, Hashim Thaci's Jakup Krasniqi has been declared innocent of the charges placed on them.

Wessel has been declared on November 10th, as has Selimi on November 11th.

The incident against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselin, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi is confirmed on October 26, 2020.

According to the prosecution, at least between March 1998 and September 1999, Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselini, Rexhep Selimi, Jakup Krasniqi and other members of the joint criminal enterprise had the common goal of securing and exercising control over all of Kosovo through methods involving intimidation, mistreatment, violence and the unlawful elimination of those considered opponents.

“Set up these opponents included persons who were, or who were considered to have been: (a) collaborators or forces, officials or state institutions of RFJ, or who (b) otherwise did not support the purposes or methods of the KLA and later QPK, among whom persons linked to the LDK and Serbs, Roma and persons of other nationalities (joinly, non-combatorsors). This common goal included crimes of persecution, imprisonment, arrest and arbitrary or illegal arrest, other inhumane acts, cruel treatment, torture, murder and forced disappearance of persons”, the indictment said.

In addition, Azem Syla, Lahi Brahimaj, Fatmir Limaj, Sylejman Selimi, Rrustem Mustafa, Shukri Buja, Latif Gashi and Sabit Geci are also mentioned.

According to the indictment, the accused along with other KLA leaders contributed to achieving the common goal.

“As an alternative, some or all of these individuals were not members of the joint criminal enterprise, but were used by members of the joint criminal enterprise to commit crimes for the realisation of the common goal (with members of the NKP, jointly members and NKP instruments)”, says the accusation act. /Betimy for Justice