Final Word taken in The Hague case against former KLA leaders in the next two weeks

On Wednesday, the final word starts the defence of former President Hashim Thaci and former Parliament Speaker Kadri Veselini, and a day later that of Rexhep Selimi. All at the end of the week on Friday, former Parliament Speaker Jakup Krasniqi's final word of defence.

Lawyer Artan Qerkeyn has indicated that even the court can use the two-hours planned to get clarifications from the parties.

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 ask for clarification”, Qerkey said.

The lawyer accredited by the Special shows that the case for war crimes and crimes against humanity is complex, so he does not expect the court to go out with a court case before June.

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”, Qerkey said.

Blendina Veliqi, monitoring and journalist at the Kosovo Institute for Justice, says the process has been extended since the accused have been in custody since November 2020.

This case has gone too far. We have said as the IKD that even detention against 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” ruling, Velii said.

On February 17th, when Kosovo celebrates its 18th birthday, as well as a day before the warned closure of the trial has been warned peaceful march by the non-governmental organisation “Liria has a name” in Pristina to express support for the four accused in The Hague. Protests have been organised earlier in Pristina, Skopje, Tirana, The Hague and Strasbourg, time reports.

“Freedom has the name” announces and simultaneously invites Kosovo citizens to the large march our country has ever seen, a peaceful, dignified and inclusive march, a march for justice and not politics. A march not against someone, but the dignity of Kosovo, for the truth and for respecting the sacrifice on which our freedom is built”, said Ismail Tasholli, director of the NGO “Freedom has the name”.

The Act of Specialised Prosecutor's Office against former KLA Judges Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veselini, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi contains ten counts. According to the indictment, crimes were committed between March 1998 and September 1999.