What impact is expected to be presented by the protection of former KLA leaders?

The defence of former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders will begin presenting evidence for its case on September 15th. The court has indicated that the timing required by former President Hashim Thaci's defence for presenting evidence and giving evidence is over, approximately 150 hours.

Unlike previous processes and evidence given so far, this new phase towards former KLA leaders, according to recognitionrs of justice cases, is expected to have a positive impact.

The lawyer accredited in Kosovo's Specialised Chambers, Artan Kerin, has stated to Albanian Post that evidence called by defence is expected to have specific “ ” in the process.

The defense has called loan witnesses, precisely because of their personality and previous functions. We believe that their testimony will have special weight in the process and will contribute to the right reflection of the” circumstances, Kerin said of the AP.

In a line similar to Qerkin, justice affairs connoisseur Ardian Bajraktari has indicated.

Bajraktari, in a response to Albanian Post, has estimated that the role of the defence side “is extremely important”.

The witness list that has been confirmed to testify in this process is very creditable, and I believe it will significantly affect the truthfulness of the truth. It is already known: the KLA has not committed crimes and had no literal command structure or hierarchy”, Bajraktari told the AP.

According to him, the judicial epilogue must end with the proclamation of the innocence of former KLA leaders.

If there's justice and a fair decision, then, as far as we've seen, the decision should be liberating for the former KLA heads”.

The defence of former President Thaci, at the status conference held 19 August in Specialised Chambers in The Hague, has announced that he will witness from the US that are top and important figures, but has not revealed their identity.

“I can't name names in public, because it's about people with a high figure, very well known, like Secretary Albright, Richard Holbrooke, Senator Dole etc., has been expressed by one of Thaci's lawyers.

The US government has made it known that the defence is working to secure the proper authorization for these witnesses, as according to defence, they will present excusing information.

The specialised prosecution has stressed that it will take about a month from the moment the defence hands over witness statements until their appearance in court. But the defence has clarified that it is not obliged to hand over their collections.

On the other hand, Jakup Krasniqi's defence has announced that it plans two witnesses to testify in court, while two others give written testimony, which has already been handed over to the prosecution.

It remains unclear whether all witnesses will be presented in open sessions.

Thousands of citizens had protested in Pristina on 7 August against the injustice of the so-called Special Court to former KLA leaders. A similar protest has been warned that it will be held in The Hague by diaspora and veterans on 14 September.

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. The four have pleaded innocent to the charges.

Since 4 November and 5 November 2020, they are in custody at The Hague, where Kosovo's Specialised Chambers are located. The trial process against them was launched in April 2023.

In over two years, the Special Prosecutor's Office has called 125 witnesses and presented about 3 thousand material evidence.

At the latest status conference, held on 22 July, the defence teams of former KLA leaders have complained they do not have enough time to prepare their case./Periscopi/