Trial Continues Against Former KLA Chiefs

Former Kosovo Liberation Army superiors (UÇK) will again appear before the court in the Specialised Chambers of Kosovo (DHSK) in The Hague in the Netherlands. The trial against former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, former Prime Ministers ? Kadri Veselin of Jakup Krasniqi and former Kosovo President Rexhep Selimi will continue this Monday (now, May 6th).

The trial in the case of four former KLA General Staff guides is expected to begin at 09:00, while the session will also have Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday (7.8 May and 10 May). In mid-May, no court hearings are expected, while the last for this month in the largest case of the so-called Special Court will be held on 30 May.

Meanwhile, on April 15th, the court panel in the case of former KLA leaders, in separate decisions for everyone, continued detention for Thaci and Veselin, claiming there is still the danger that the two accused could prevent the judicial process and perform other criminal acts. Meanwhile, the court decided to increase the number of victims.

And of the more than 300 witnesses total, 60 have so far been heard -- Albanians, Serbs, international experts, former KLA commanders and alleged victims of war -- mainly in closed public hearings. At last session the former member of The KLA, Nuredin Abazi, who after the war held functions in Kosovo's justice system.

The former president of Kosovo, former Kosovars and former head of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV) deputies are charged by the Specialised Prosecutor's Office (ZPS) for alleged murder, torture and cruel treatment in the period between 1998 (1999). In the trial that began April 3, 2023, four former KLA leaders were acquitted. / EO/