9 minutes agoThe “Thaci judicial process and others” in The Hague, Greep: The first 11 witnesses have been summoned.
Periskopi(3 years ago)
(3 years ago)Access to Kosovo's Specialised Chambers in The Hague is very limited and the opportunity to receive additional information about judicial processes is limited, based on the laws and regulations on which this court operates. However, Kosovo Specialised Chambers spokeswoman in The Hague Angela Greep explained that [...]
However, Kosovo Specialised Chambers spokeswoman in The Hague Angela Greep explained that initial words of prosecution and defence are to enable the parties to present the general mirror of procedures.
The process begins in the case of '%T Thaci and others, starts on April 11th, and the word will have the prosecution”, Greep said.
She said that in terms of the detention and duration measure, the court acts within a reasonable deadline, and according to her, even though it has spent about two and a half years in Thaci's detention, Veselin, Selimi Krasniqi, the judge has concluded it is within an acceptable deadline.
The “though it depends on each specific case, but the case ʹThaci and others is complex, as we have multiple alleged crimes, many multiple points of indictment, and for that the judges have said that the time of detention is still reasonable”, Greep told RTK.
She further said the judge has encouraged defence and prosecution to organise their arguments in such a way that they are as efficient and experienced as possible.
As for witnesses, Greep said safeguard clauses could be applied to them, and judges decide for that, but only if necessary for their safety and their families.
Based on the level of protection that judges give each witness, there may be such that the measure is taken away for protection just 30 days before witnessing.
When they appear in the session, the prosecution questions and then the defense, each witness takes an indirect question of”, Greep said, adding that -“there is a rule to protect their identity, but there are still witnesses such as cannot be shown defence”.
She said she cannot elaborate on the number of protected witnesses.
But when there are such witnesses, his defense identity can be revealed, however, shortly before the start of the interrogation process”.
Greep said the first 11 witnesses have been called to testify.
The witness list is divided between the parties, but we do not know the content yet because it is still confidential”, she said.
“We do not know what extent the timetable is set between the parties. But the judge today said there's a kind of schedule and asked the prosecution to stick to that schedule, and then the defense offers the possibility of questioning them”.
Asked about the reason for public broadcasting of the session by 45 minutes late, the spokeswoman for the Specialised Chambers said it has to do with confidential domestic issues, because perhaps any party mistakenly discloses a confidential information during the procedure.
The judges remind the gallery that these information cannot be discovered and that they are removed from broadcast before they appear in public”, she said.
Greep said the scenario might be that something could be revealed incorrectly during the procedure, and that is that these information cannot be revealed to anyone and any source that can have that information must be closed to the public.
“If someone deliberately reveals or tries to distribute confidential information in order to prevent the process or intimidate witnesses, this is a criminal offence”.
She recalled that for such reasons, Hysni Gucati and Nasim Haradinaj have already been convicted.
As for the media, she said there are no other rules only that the law must be implemented.
But I have the pleasure of saying that the media in Kosovo have been very cautious and very restrained and have not seen any attempt at deliberately breaking this rule”.
