Judgment of Thaci and others: Witness testimony is initiated that SPS claims has been kidnapped and beaten by KLA

According to the summary read by SPS representative Jasmine Shahabud, it is claimed that the witness has been kidnapped by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, as well as brutally beaten, reports “Justice Vowy”.

In June 1999, witness 02082 was kidnapped by members of the KLA who seemed to know the identity of the person. He was sent to a location used by the KLA in Prizren, where he saw other KLA members abroad. During the ban on that country, he was interrogated, threatened, and severely beaten by various KLA members for hours”, the prosecutor said.

She said KLA members had told the witness not to tell anyone about the fact that they had kept him banned.

The witness with the number 02082 saw others who had blood and were beaten. Before being released, KLA soldiers told witness 02082 not to tell anyone about the fact that they had kept him stop. To this day there are health problems due to injuries that caused him”, the prosecutor said.

After that, the prosecutor requested that she be transferred to private sessions in order to preserve the witness's identity during the interrogation, as he is on protective measures.

At the beginning of the hearing, the prosecutor said she didn't go through the psychologist's expertise for this witness as well as announced that the transcripts and documents to be presented should be read by someone because he's got visual problems.

The statements of this witness earlier given to the SPS along with the surveillance materials were accepted and received numbers of material evidence in this court case.

According to Judge Charles Smith III, the testimony of this witness will last about five hours.

According to him, the SPS has envisioned 1 hour, the protection of the victims 15 minutes while the accused's defence teams have envisioned about 4 hours for questioning this witness.

As said at the hearing, due to health problems, Judge Christoph Barthe and the two accused Thaci and Krasniqi are attending the session through video binding.

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