The Hague, 70th Witness, continues testimony in closed special session

According to the summary read by the SPS representative, prosecutor James Pace, on Monday it was said the witness was a member of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK) and who claims he was detained along with another person and beaten.

“Witness 03170 was an LDK member who was arrested along with another person. During the transfer to one of the locations where these persons were detained, witness 03170, his hands and the hands of another person were tied and they were threatened and beaten”, said Pace.

The statements the witness gave earlier for the SPS were accepted as material evidence.

All the accused are present in the courtroom, except Jakup Krasniqi, who is attending the session through video connection.

The hearing for the most part is being kept closed, as DSF spokesman Christopher Bennett had said.

The Specialised Prosecutor's Office (ZPS) has handed over a statement through which it has announced the court panel in the case of former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders, who will not rely on the testimony of 10 witnesses.

Of the more than 300 witnesses total, 69 of them have so far been heard -- Albanians, Serbs, international experts, former KLA commanders and alleged victims of war -- mainly in closed sessions.

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. / AP/