Thaci's defence: Prosecutor's claims of escape risk are unfounded and speculation

Luka Mistic in the court's handed-over parliament has said that the prosecution's claims that Thaci is at risk of escaping are groundless and speculating. He says his client has never posed a threat to escape. In addition, the defence says Thaci has considered the prosecution's case weak and has considered having no defence issues at all.

“Sic has on several occasions expressed it through his special lawyer at conferences on the status of procedure, Mr. Thaci considers the SPS case so weak that he has thought not to present a defence case at all”, the statement said.

Thaci's threats to escape are said to have been recorded by the judge of the preliminary procedure as well as by the court.

According to defence, this was due to the fact that Thaci in 2020 had resigned from the president's position and had surrendered voluntarily to the Special Court.

The defence has ruled that even the recent decision to continue detention of Thaci says this move is not justified on the basis of the risk of escape.

They say these factors have not changed, and the court has rightly rejected the prosecution's argument that the risk of escape increases with the progress of judicial procedures.

The defense's preemptive says the court had rejected the prosecution's other argument, which said the risk of Thaci's escape increases because of his knowledge of criminal charges against justice administration that have already been confirmed.

Misethic says neither the argument Thaci will already have significant additional information on the fact that the defender of the victims is preparing his case is an estimate of the risk of escape, is unstable.

For protection, the prosecution's other claim that Thaci has increased risk of obstructing procedures is groundless and must be taken into account by the court.

Luka Misethic says it is not the fact that Thaci could prevent procedures after the prosecution's presentation of evidence ends.

The defence has also cited an assessment of Appeals, who had stressed that in the normal flow of events, the risk of obstructing procedures decreases over time, as investigations end and witnesses testify and evidence is presented.

However, the defence says it opposes the argument for Thaci to obstruct procedures if it aims to imply that evidence presented by the SPS by the recent detention review has strengthened the case against the accused.

But, the defence says Thaci considers the SPS case weak enough he has thought not to present his defence at all.

“Sic has on several occasions expressed it through his special lawyer at conferences on the status of procedure, Mr. Thaci considers the SPS case so weak that he has thought not to present a defence case at all”, the statement said.

The threat of obstructing procedures was reportedly linked to the risk of extracting confidential information for witnesses. Now, while the prosecution's case has ended, the risk to witness intervention is evidently lower.

Even for the prosecution's other argument, the danger is that Thaci will intervene in the testimony of the victims' defense witnesses does not stand.

Under defence, the burden of testing belongs to the SPS, and only its evidence can support a sentence at the end of the trial in cases of normal. While, according to the defence, the victim's defender only presents evidence related to the damages inflicted on the victims, rather than on the individual responsibility of the accused.

This is a fundamental change that logically leads to the conclusion that any risk of obstruction in connection with victims' witnesses is essentially lower”, said the Paratre.

As a result, defence says that at this stage of the procedure, there is no evidence of any danger of interference with victims' defender witnesses.

In addition, the defence says these witnesses are neither citizens of Kosovo and are expert witnesses who are subsequently not vulnerable.

The same is true, according to the defence, for witnesses who can present the defense, saying the prosecution has presented no information to support the existence of such a danger.

This is not surprising, since at this stage of the procedure, defence has not yet confirmed whether to call witnesses. Therefore, any risk of interference in this regard is abstract and speculating”, the statement states.

Meanwhile, on April 15th 2025, the prosecution has announced that it has completed presenting evidence in the case.

The Specialised Prosecutor's Office, on September 30th 2022, has handed over the confirmed amended indictment against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselini, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi, which consists of ten points on charges, where the latter are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

On April 29th 2022, the Specialised Prosecutor's Office had handed over a amended indictment to Hashim Thaci, Kadri Wessel, Rexhepi and Jakup Krasniqi, where four indictees have committed war crimes even in Gjilan, Budakov and Semtish.

On November 9th 2020, in their first appearances, Hashim Thaci's Jakup Krasniqi has been declared innocent of the charges placed on them. Wessel has also been declared in his presentation on November 10th, as has Rexhep Selimi on November 11th.

The incident against Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselini, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi was confirmed on October 26, 2020, writes the Votimy for Justice, following Periscope