James Rubin's testimony at The Hague becomes news from “Associated Press”

The testimony of former senior American official James Rubin, currently being held for three hours in The Hague Specialised Chambers, has also been reported in international media.

The prestigious news agency “Associated Press” has reported today on his presentation as the first defence witness in the trial against former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci.

In her article, the AP writes:

The former US State Department spokeswoman James Rubin testified Monday as the first defence witness for Hashim Thaci, former Kosovo president, who is accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the 1998-99 war for his country's independence from Serbia.

Thaci is being tried in Kosovo's Specialised Chambers in The Hague along with three other former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders, who fought Serb forces during the war. They are widely viewed as national heroes in their homeland.

Rubin was with former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in peace talks in France in 1999 and later participated in negotiations on disarming the Kosovo Liberation Army. He described Thaci as a political “ ” of force, without real power.

It was clear to me that he was not in charge, Ruby said before the court. He had no knowledge, skills, or authority to make decisions in any form.

Thaci rose to power after the war, but resigned from the presidential post to defend against charges charged with Kadri Veselini, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi, including murder, persecution, torture and forced disappearance.

The trial began on April 3rd 2023, with Thaci, known during the war as Gjarprih, who told judges he was innocent. The prosecution concluded its case after the call of 125 witnesses.

Prosecutors argued at the opening of the trial that neither the Kosovo Liberation Army nor the war for independence are being deployed at the dock.

These four accused men are on trial for their personal responsibility for crimes committed against persons they viewed as opponents, most of whom were Kosovo Albanians, prosecutor Clara Lawson said before the court.

The majority of the 13 thousand victims of war were ethnic Albanians. The war ended with a 78-day NATO air strikes campaign against Serbian forces.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move recognised by the United States and many Western states, but rejected by authorities in Belgrade.

The tribunal in The Hague and its prosecutor's office were established after a 2011 report by the Council of Europe, which included claims that KLA fighters had trafficked human organs taken from prisoners and killed Serbs and other Albanians. Thaci and his co-accused are not charged with organ trafficking.

Monday's session was held at a time of political deadlock in Kosovo, seven months after the elections. The US, one of Kosovo's main supporters, on Friday suspended talks with the country, blaming the caretaker government for increasing tensions and instability in Kosovo and the region”, the article reads.

https://apnews.com/article/kosovo-war-theci-defension-defension-621f52e8e16643cf61be4ef3c53c3