Hague-based defence of Thaci: Plan 11 witnesses, high figures from US and Great Britain

This conference, according to the court, aims to make preparations before defence starts presenting its evidence.

Present in the shed hall are Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselini and Rexhep Selimi, meanwhile, Jakup Krasniqi is attending the session through video connection.

At the start of the conference, the court asked Thaci's defence and Krasniqi to give deadlines on when to issue statements on witnesses.

Thaci's defence said that out of 11 witnesses, five of them have not yet released summary statements. Thaci's lawyer, Luka Misetic, said that authorisation we are waiting for a witness from the United Kingdom, while four others are from the US.

The defence said witnesses from the US are high and important figures, but did not reveal their identities.

The US government, the defence said, is working to provide appropriate authorization to these witnesses, since according to defence, they will present excusing information.

The specialised prosecutor said it would take a month from when the defence issued these witness statements to their appearance in court. But the defense said it is not obliged to release their collections.

Hashim Thaci's defence announced it will take 35.5 hours for giving testimony to witnesses to call in the case.

The judge asked if all 11-12 witnesses Thaci's defence is scheduled to invite will give testimony before the court, and the lawyers confirmed they would.

Meanwhile, Jakup Krasniqi's defence announced it plans that two witnesses will give testimony in the courtroom, while two others will give written testimony and this testimony has only been handed over to prosecutors.

According to this estimate, the judge said it would take 35 days of work -- five hours a day of evidence -- to conclude witnesses, predicting that their testimony could be completed in December.

Thaci's defence said that for four witnesses awaiting authorisations, they are in the last bloc of witnesses, which defence is planning to invite.

Former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, former Prime Ministers Kadri Veselin and Jakup Krasniqi, as well as former President Rexhep Selimi are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. They have been declared innocent of the charges.

At the latest status conference, held on July 22nd, the defence teams of former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders (UÇK) have complained they do not have enough time to prepare their case.

As of November 4th and 5th 2020, all four indictees are in custody at The Hague, where the Specialised Chambers of Kosovo are.

The trial process against them was launched in April 2023. In over two years, the Specialised Prosecutor's Office summoned 125 witnesses to the courtroom and presented some 3,000 material evidence.

The SPS declared on April 16th that it has completed the presentation of evidence against former KLA leaders.

After the prosecution, the defence teams will have to file their case.

The Specialised Prosecutor's Office had confirmed the indictment against former KLA leaders in October 2020, but made it public just a month later.

The instance charges the accused with responsibility “Personal”, but also for “acres committed by their dependents”.

According to the indictment, Thaci, Weselini, Selimi and Krasniqi are charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes, including the murder of more than 100 victims, as well as the illegal detention and torture of hundreds of victims.

The indictment says the four indictees and other KLA members were part of a “joint criminal enterprise” and “have shared the same goal to take and exercise control throughout Kosovo with all means, including intimidation, mistreatment, violence exercise and elimination of those whom they considered opponents”.

Specialised Chambers and the Specialised Prosecutor's Office, widely known as the Special Court, were founded in 2015 by the Assembly of Kosovo and are part of Kosovo's judicial system, but operate international personnel in the Netherlands.

The Special Court investigates the alleged crimes of KLA members committed against ethnic minorities and political rivals from January 1998 to December 2000.