Nuhi Bytyci: I don't want the Court and the SPS using my book as evidence to accuse freedom fighters.

During his testimony at The Hague, witness Nuhi Bytyci said he does not want the Special Prosecutor's Office, particularly its specialised, to consider his book as evidence of the former KLA leaders.

I don't want this Court, especially the Prosecutor's Court, to consider this book of mine as evidence to accuse freedom fighters”, the witness said as he was asked by prosecutor Matt Halling for his book “War Book”.

The witness said that during wartime it has always worked and worked as an independent and voluntary journalist and that it was for reasons that too long before the war, Kosovo was in informative darkness, reports the “Justice Trust”.

Asked how it has been possible to take note of all those dates mentioned in the book, the witness said it has been difficult because he was a volunteer journalist and not officially accredited.

“Initially, to be fair in those circumstances of war, as volunteer journalist as was the Kosovo Army- a volunteer army supported by all Albanian people, I have had a lot of difficulty in my work. Initially, I have not had official accreditment from Serbia because I personally have not recognised the state of Serbia that it was an occupational state”, the witness said.

Bytyci also said that even in 2019, respectively, when he had published the book, he had declared that dates or names may not be correct there. That is because he has not been able to keep any punctual journals as journalists can carry in normal circumstances.

I've been working in extraordinary circumstances in police workshops and I've never been able to keep the journal regular, mark dates, mark the names I've contacted, with which I interviewed. So even in my statement on July 30-31, 2019, I have stated that some dates and some names in the book may not be accurate that any name may be missing... because I haven't been able to keep a schedule journal as journalists can carry under normal circumstances”, the witness said.

Bytyci also added that it never happened to work with someone else's directives.

I didn't happen to work on someone's dictate. Even at the time I worked as a journalist at Pristina Radio Television I was against Czezura and in no way have I allowed either after the war or during the war for someone to dictate in my work”, he said.

The former RTP reporter said his book before publication had none other than professionals engaged in editing it.

Before the publication, only editors and book correspondents have seen my book. Understandably, the book's lecturer, while neither of the General Staff nor any other citizen of the Republic of Kosovo prepared for publication, has been given”, he said.

While, after the publication, he said a copy of the book was given to former President Thaci and Fatmir Limaj.

After the publication, President of the Republic of Kosovo Hashim Thaci gave the book to others, I know. Mr. Krasniqi doesn't know if I gave it to him, I know that Mr. Selim and Mr. Wessel have not. But even Fatmir Limaj was asked, given in his office how much he was deputy prime minister of the Republic of Kosovo”, the witness said, adding that he did not receive comments from them.

While, Halling told the witness that earlier in his testimony he had said that no copies of the book had been given to any member of the KLA General Staff and that he is already testifying differently.

However, the witness said that no copies of the book were delivered before the publication.

Otherwise, during his testimony, the witness said neither the KLA war has been a struggle for freedom.

The Kosovo Liberation Army war was a war for freedom, it was a war against the Serbian occupation, it was a war against violence and terror throughout Kosovo, and that peaceful means were exhausted, and this was the imposed war that all Albanians from Kosovo and other countries joined. It was a voluntary war that Kosovo was not a state and did not have the regular army as other states have under normal”, Bytyci said.