8 hours agoSeveral indictment points expected to be dropped at The Hague
Periskopi(a year ago)
(a year ago)After more than 210 prosecution witnesses were heard for 2 years in the trial against former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders Hashim Thaci, Jakup Krasniqi, Rexhep Selimi's Kadri Veselini, on Friday the prosecution would complete this process, from whose initial list removed more than 140 witnesses. Thaci and [...]
Thaci and others, accused of co-operating in war crimes, have denied guilt for the charges and what will happen immediately after the prosecution in The Hague wraps up this process, is a defence request to drop some of the charges.
Former President Hashim Thaci, Luka Misetic, has confirmed to Kosovo Radio that “the shield will likely seek to drop several points of prosecution”.
Specialised Chambers spokeswoman, Hague-based Judge Angela Grep, has told Kosovo Radio that if the defenders' defence makes such a request, the lawyer's team has announced it will take four weeks to prepare for that part.
“If the court refuses the defense request to drop the charges, defence is given time to prepare for the relevant” case, Greep said.
The Council of Victims office has also called for its witnesses to be heard.
Greep, however, has not shown the nationality of witnesses to the victims, nor of what cases involved in the indictment will testify.
“During the last sessions, the Council of Victims has announced that they want to present 3 or 4 witnesses and that it will take them a week or two to present their witnesses in this case”, she said.
Protection of the accused has announced that if the plea for dropping charges is rejected it would take 10 weeks to prepare the case. However, the court will decide the exact time that will be given to the parties to prepare for their cases.
