Wessel's defense: The prosecution should have a year to present the case

“The shield has proposed that the SPS should have a year to present its case with a possible three-month extension for unforeseen delays. According to the defence, the SPS has not shown a timeframe that believes would be appropriate for its case, but stresses that it is reviewing the list of witnesses and time assessments and will inform the defence of their decisions”, said Ben Emmerson, Wessel's lawyer.

This letter said the defence proposal would result in a trial of two to three years and a total trial phase of four to five years, depending on whether the extension periods and any disruptions between SPS and defence cases are used.

“The defence states that 12-15 months offer the SPS sufficient opportunity to bring an case against the accused. Moreover, if it cannot be done within this deadline, very little is likely that further withdrawal of procedures will serve someone's interests”, it is further said.

Otherwise, on April 29th, the Specialised Prosecutor's Office has handed over a amended indictment against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselin, Rexhepi and Jakup Krasniqi.

The prosecution is claiming that the four indictees have committed war crimes even in Gjilan, Budakov and Semetish, reports “Justice bet“.

In the published annex concerning crimes allegedly taking place in Seminishh 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 have listed imprisonment, other inhumane acts, torture, murder, forced extinction of persons 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 have 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