Hague: Eight witness testimony begins, in judgment against Thaci and others

The eighth witness with code 04323 will begin his testimony Monday in Kosovo's Specialised Chambers ( DPSK, in The Hague, in judgment against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi.

Clearly, three cases have been handled by the court.

The chairman of the court, Judge Charles Smith, announced that they have decided to change the command by the mouth of March 23rd, with which they had accepted a document in its entirety, now only in the relevant parts that Wessel's defense will use.

This is decided on the basis of Wessel's defence statements, meeting the criteria of rule 154 and having had no objections from the parties.

The second case concerned the request of the Specialised Prosecutor's Office ( ZPS to re-proscript certain documents.

The judge asked the defence and that no one rejected the application for the SPS re-proscription.

On the other hand, regarding the third case, which was the SPS motion to limit presence in the courtroom, the court decided that the defence would respond to this rather distant until the end of the working hours on June 15th, and that if the SPS has counter-respond, it would be revealed by the end of the hour on June 16th.

The session is continuing in private session.

Otherwise, at today's hearing present in the courtroom are all the accused.

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.

The fifth witness began witnessing on May 17th and concluded on May 22nd, where the sixth witness, who finished witnessing on May 23rd, began on the same day as the seventh witness.

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