Judgment of Thaci and others, defence poses concerns over holding closed sessions

This concern has been put forward for the parties -- Hashim Thaci's defender, lawyer Gregory Kehoe, reports “Justice Trust”.

He said that due to the May 17th court's order to develop private or closed session procedures, they want to present some difficulties, saying the same have rejected all measures of the Specialised Prosecutor's Office (ZPS) as well as safeguard clauses. “I want to draw attention not only to challenge, we are having practical concerns about pursuing the SPS practice, he said.

According to him, the SPS has the opportunity to come out and enter private sessions whenever it is needed, and as a protection it presents difficulties for them to get through one question as far as the next question is concerned. On the other hand, he said this challenge would be assessed also because the other two witnesses have large safeguards.

According to him, this causes difficulties for the public to understand what they ask, since according to Kehoe, the procedure is much more difficult on their part than on the prosecution. In this regard, SPS has also been declared, saying that the main concerns are not from them but from witness intimidation and that this is not something that can be prevented from them.

According to the SPS, the prosecution has occasionally demanded that the hearing be made public, but it has been rejected by the defence.E which, lawyer Kehoe reacted by saying they disagree with that position, as the same practice opposes it for years and added that we want to conduct it in an open session.

But, the chairman of the court, Judge Charles Smith said that the order was not meant to blame someone, but that if this is not achieved by the parties, they will do it themselves as a court. The hearing of the fifth witness (in code 3165) is continuing on.

During the month of April, the trial has begun until the April 3rd session, former President Hashim Thaci, former Prime Ministers Kadri Veselin and Jakup Krasniqi, and after reading the indictment amended by the SPS, were declared innocent of the acts imposed on them. On April 4th, Thaci's defence, Weselin and Selimi have given the opening word until April 5th Krasniqi's defence has given the opening word.

On April 11th, the presentation of the prosecution's evidence, where the prosecution's first protected witness has given her testimony on April 11th, April 12th, April 13th and April 17th. On April 17th, the hearing of the second witness, also protected, which has continued to witness on April 18th, April 19th and April 20, where the third witness has ended, and on May 10th has begun giving a fourth witness, whose testimony ended on May 17th.

Otherwise, the Specialised Prosecutor's Office, on September 30th, 2022, 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. On April 29th 2022, the Specialised Prosecutor's Office had handed over a amended indictment to Hashim Thaci, Kadri Wessel, Rexhepi and Jakup Krasniqi, where four indictees have committed war crimes even in Gjilan, Budakov and Semtish.

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 also been declared in his presentation on November 10th, as has Rexhep Selimi on November 11th. The incident against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselin, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi is confirmed on October 26, 2020. /Betimy for Justice