End of trial process against former KLA leaders, so many hearings remain with the prosecution

The list of hundreds of witnesses, in the judicial process against former KLA leaders, in Kosovo's Specialised Chambers, is heading towards closure.

Until April 4th, when it is the last day for the Specialised Prosecutor's Office to present all evidence, according to the Kosovo Specialised Chambers Calendar, there are 8 sessions ahead.

At the recent conference on the performance of the case, the prosecution had announced that they have managed to confirm only one witness, and have not indicated if they have managed to provide others.

You have correctly identified the number of days of the trial process. The information you are seeking is not public”.

For the lawyer accredited by the Special, Taulant Hodaj, completing the term for the prosecution may also bring about a change in the safety measure for the accused, who are in custody by 2020.

The “Piles after prosecution witnesses are executed have a reasonable basis where they can ask the court for another ruling on the safety measure of detention until the trial is carried out, because one of the reasons they are in custody is due to the impact on prosecution witnesses”, Hodaj said, Rtv Dukagjini.

E Amer Aliaj from the Fund for Humanitarian Law tells of the procedure away from this process.

After April 4th, the defence side has the right to file a few motions for rejecting the charges after 10 days, there are prosecutions that respond to these motions and concerning these motions the court makes a decision if any charges are dropped. With evidence procedure regulations, the other side right to invite witnesses is the damaged side... and then comes to the defense...”, Aliaj said.

But, according to former President Hashim Thaci's adviser, who has been engaged in the defence team, this judicial process is political and unfair.

“We have a prolonged and political process that has been followed by injustice, which has been followed by denigration, which has been followed by unprecedented international decisions and I think there have been a few months left by the release of KLA leaders, because so far the prosecution has not achieved at any point to prove the charges it has put in the indictment”, Artan Behrami said.

By April 2023, when the trial process against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselin, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, has also been heard at the 123 witnesses' courtroom, and many other evidence has been delivered in written form.

Former KLA leaders are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity./Periscopi/