HAGUE Witness Jelic to her husband: His body wasn't found. I want to know what happened.

She said it would be good to find at least one bone in order to get a grave for the person where his wife could cry, reports “The Justice Act”.

That's true. His body has never been found... what I want to know is what happened to my husband and it would be good to at least find a single bone in such a way that we should have a grave and have a place where I could finally cry it”, Jelic said.

The Witness said that the disappearance of her husband had an impact on her and her children.

Believe me it had a lot of impact on us. My daughter was very close to her father, and when we left Rahovci to go to Montenegro, the girl hasn't spoken for a month, although she had started talking. She sat at the same place all the time and scared her eyes at a place all the time while not making a single word. He didn't speak at all”, Jelic said.

The Witness Stemena Jelic said that she herself was neither physically nor mentally functional after that.

I was neither physically nor mentally functional and then asked for help. I went to a doctor's office and he told me certain things that my kids would end up in a mall for abandoned children and that they wouldn't know they were brother and sister, then I tried to get myself together and for a whole year I wasn't physically and mentally good. However, after a year thanks to doctors thankfully I was better”, Jelic said.

Jelic confirmed that after a year, from Montenegro they have gone to live in Serbia. She said that when they arrived in Serbia, she has been working at a restaurant for fast foods, which they did today.

The witness was also asked how fatherless children were affected.

“has tremendous impact. To this day, their father's absence affects them, even though they are adults today. It's had a lot of impact on my life. It's very difficult to live somewhere and raise two children without any help. It's very difficult and I wouldn't wish anybody such a destiny. Although this has happened in the past, to this day life is not at all easy”, the witness said.

So the questions of the victims' defender for this witness were concluded to follow up with Hashim Thaci's defense represented by lawyer Nina Tavakoli.

Jelic: I hear Ismet Tara was responsible for the disappearance of Serbs in Rahovec

(Updated, 10:40) Witness Stamena Jelic said she heard from people in Rahovec from this area, responsible for the disappearance of Serbs who were neighbours including her husband was Ismet Tara.

The person responsible for Rahovecin was Ismet Tara. I heard from people in Rahovec that he was responsible for the disappearance of people in question. My mother-in-law when she went to report her son's disappearance she went to meet with Ismet Taren personally. That's what she personally told me.”, the witness said, denying she met Tara personally.

Prior to that, the witness said one of the Serbs had beaten him up and put him in a van from which he had managed to escape, reports the “Justice Trust”.

And then they took him by car with a certain kind of van, his hands were tied, and I heard he got out of the van. I've heard this through my neighbour, Jela Gerkoviq”, the witness said, adding that her husband's name was Zveta.

She said the Serbs arrested were detained at the former Serbian Police station in Rahovec.

“In Rahovec, where police have previously stayed and when police have left, they have been detained at police station”, Jelic said, adding that they were detained by the KLA.

So the prosecution's questions about this witness were concluded to follow up on the questions of the victims' defender, Simon Laws.

ZPS for the 94th witness: His husband has disappeared since he was kidnapped by KLA members

In Kosovo Specialised Chambers ( The DPS) in The Hague has begun witnessing the 94th witness of the Specialised Prosecutor's Office, Stamena Jelic, which holds code 01163 and is testifying via video connection to Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselini, Rexhepi and Jakup Krasniqi.

Questions about this witness have begun the SPS representative, prosecutor Alexander Insinga. During the summary read in court, this witness has disappeared from the time it is claimed to have been taken from his home by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UÇK).

Also, according to the SPS, this witness has seen the kidnapping and mistreatment of a neighbour from KLA members, reports the “Justice Trust”.

In the summer of 1999, witness 01163-Serbian lived in Rahovec along with her husband, Marko Jelic, and other family members. With or about June 16, 1999, 01163 witnessed the kidnapping and mistreatment of her neighbour by KLA soldiers. Later that day, witness 01163 was told by others that three other Serbs living nearby had been taken into a vehicle by members of the KLA. On 9 August 1999, the husband of 01163 was taken from his house by three KLA members in the presence of 01163 members of the KLA. He never came home and he's been missing ever since. Marko Jelilq's mother has contacted the KLA commander at the time to get information about her son, but without success. Of all Serbs abducted only the Panta body body body... has been found”, the prosecutor said during the summary reading.

Whatever I said then, I'd say right now. The same thing”, Jelic said when asked whether he stands behind the statements he had previously made.

The Witness said the names of these people are Zveta Gergovic, Nego Dediq, Tihomier Milkovic, and Marko Vidosevic as well.

As a result, they were admitted to material evidence in Albanian, Serbian and English, earlier statements by the witness who gave them to the authorities of justice years ago.

These statements were classified as public to be used for counterquestions, but not for the public.

According to the chairman of the court, Charles Smith III, the testimony of this witness will last about a day and that an hour and a half of this time have been divided over the prosecution's questions. The defender of the victims has indicated that it takes about 15 minutes, while protecting the accused takes about two and a half hours to counter their questions.

Prior to that, the court issued orders regarding objections to the chronology of evidence presented by the victims' defender and their possible request for compensation.

“The timetable has been set regarding objections to the chronology of evidence presented by the victim's protector and request for compensation. The court has found that during yesterday's session on the performance of the case, the defender of the victims has indicated that the DPS legal framework, issues that are part of the victims participating in the procedure would submit following the possible motion that could be submitted under the 130 and on which a court ruling could be taken. Likewise, the defense of the victims intended to file a request for compensation following the trial handed down by the court”, Charles Smith III said.

On the other hand, Smith ordered the parties regarding their statements regarding this chronology set forth by the defender of the victims.

The “Piles are ordered to submit their objections to chronology as set forth by the long-term victims' defender for Monday, December 2, 2024”, Smith III said.

While, the second order concerned the SPS's request for partial re-evaluation of a court ruling on September 30th 2024. The defence had confirmed that it has not rejected the prosecution's request as long as some editorials are held the way the SPS was hired for. Thus, the court approved SPS's request after reaching agreement on the most sides by then changing the decision

It is noteworthy that all accused are present in the courtroom via video connection.

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