Final phase of trial against Thaci and others in The Hague begins tomorrow

The prosecution, defence team and defendants will have the last chance of addressing the court with their statements in the process.

Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselini, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi are facing charges brought by the Specialised Prosecutor's Office, which they have described as groundless. Even the defence has dismissed these charges and argued the KLA had no organised command structure.

The lawyer accredited by The Hague Special Court, Artan Cerkini, shows what can be heard in specials from 9 February to 18 February.

We are in the final phase because the final words of the parties in this procedure also mark the conclusion of the procedure. Of course, in the final word, such as the prosecution will draw up facts and evidence, each to defend its position. First the prosecution will start, then the defense. There is a court ruling where details are clearly determined. That decision says the prosecution will have eight hours, while each defence team will have four and a half hours. Even the defendants will have 20 minutes to address the court. After final words the court will withdraw for decision-making. The court's decision-making court has three months to make the decision, but if the court estimates it needs more time, the court can ask the court's president to have the deadline for making the decision to go ahead”, he said.

Former Kosovo Liberation Army superiors Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselin, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi are in custody in The Hague from November 2020.

The trial against them has begun on April 3, 2023, nearly three years after confirming the indictment since former KLA leaders are held at The Hague detention centre.

Lawyer Artan Cerkini says the prosecution will try to convince the court that their charges are based on fact and evidence”.

The procedure will try to convince the court that their charges are based on facts and evidence. Of course, the defense will prove otherwise, so the prosecution will refer to evidence that she has administered. The defense will do so because that is the way conflicting procedures are followed by the principle. Likewise, let me not forget to say that the court has the right to ask for clarifications from the parties, whether in final words the parties have left something unclear or that the court has a vague judicial position, whether prosecutor or defense. The court has the right to seek clarification”, he adds.

Blendina Veliqi, who is monitoring at the Kosovo Institute for Justice, says this process has been prolonged.

This case has been very prolonged, and we have said as the IKD that even the detention of them for five years has been unreasonable because they themselves have surrendered to justice. However, we can say that in this case a large number of evidence has been administered, a large number of witnesses have been heard. However, we expect the court to make the proper assessment of each test and each witness so that it can be reflected then in the final” decision, she says.

But is the verdict expected soon to be made for the KLA's four, this is not hosted by lawyer Artan Cerkini.

I don't believe that the court will be able to make a judgment statement before June because the process has been quite volume, when I say volumes I have for the large number of witnesses, but also the large number of material evidence that has been discussed in the judicial process. The court has not decided during the procedure for compliance or without the acceptance of evidence because in the defence complaints it has consistently brought decisions that the court will at first assess whether it is acceptable or unacceptable and will consider only what it thinks is acceptable to”, he concludes.

Five protests in defence of former Kosovo Liberation Army leaders (UÇK) were organised last year by war-free categories. In Pristina, The Hague, Tirana, Strasbourg and Skopje, thousands of Albanians protested with calls “Justice for Liberations”.

The next protest will be held in Pristina on the anniversary of Kosovo's declaration of independence.

This year is expected to be crucial to the four KLA four, which took place in custody at The Hague for five years now.

Specialised rooms are part of Kosovo's judicial system, but operate international staff at The Hague in the Netherlands.

The European Union is the main sponsor of the Special Court, which was founded in 2015 by the Assembly of Kosovo, following the international community's request. /Periscopi/