Thaci and Wessel refused to meet with Minister Haxhiu, Colak speaking a week after visiting them

Former KLA members Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi, Hysni Gucati, Nasim Haradinaj and Peter Shala é, who are being held in the custody of the Special Court in The Hague, will share a time devoted to family visits to meet with Justice Minister Albula Haxhiu. The same will not be done by former President Hashim Thaci and former Prime Minister Kadri Wessel.

Before heading toward the Dutch city, Haxhiu from Pristina Airport spoke of planned visits. “Hashim Thaci and Kadri Wessel have rejected us, and the court has not enabled us to meet Salih Mustafan”.

Former European Integration Minister Bekim Colak visited them both a week ago. The visit to Thaci and Wessel corresponded to the 23rd anniversary of the start of NATO bombings to stop the war in Kosovo. He told Express that “Special Court is not an issue only to be addressed to the Justice Ministry”.

All our state institutions must play their role in order to ensure a fair process. Moreover, even civil society, media and other specialised organisations on issues of heavy rule and law should monitor and closely submit this judicial process”, Colak said.

Asked whether the country's institutions are behaving properly with the case of former KLA leaders being held in custody, Colak considered this to be the very complex “questions” and which “does not have a simple reply”. But he said this process is vital to Kosovo's history.

This process is highly complicated and its completion is vital not only for justice but also our most glorious history. Being of such importance, our state institutions are obviously tasked with making a strict monitoring of this process, but certainly not trying to intervene in justice. The core for this process is to ensure a fair and transparent judgment”, he said.

Bekim Colak also spoke of Thaci and Wessel's condition.

“Can confirm that President Thaci and former Kosovo Assembly Chairman Mr. Wessel enjoys full health both physically and emotionally. This situation is natural considering the fact that it is about two state leaders whose lives have challenged them with very serious challenges since they were young. Thus, even in this difficult and unjust process, not just Mr. Thaci and Wessel, but all freedom fighters that took place in custody are and remain proud and invincible because they are convinced that the court will prove their innocence”, he said.

Colak indicated that during this visit he happened to meet with the head of the KLA War Veterans Organisation, Hysni Gucatin. “There was a visit from a friend of his while I was visiting”, he said.

It is the second time Thaci and Wessel have turned down the meeting with the Justice Ministry delegation. A similar rejection occurred in September last year.

Besides Thaci and Wessel, OVL deputy chairman Nasim Haradinaj had refused a meeting with the MD delegation with the argument that this was taking the time of family visits.
The justice ministry today indicated that along with Minister Haxhiu, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament, Saranda Bogujevci, chairman of the Commission for Legislation, Adnan Rrustemi, and MP Srdjan Galushi have also travelled to The Hague.

Visits will take place on 30 March 31 March and April 1st.