Possible charges against Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci and former Speaker of Parliament Kadri Veseli may not be public before the accused appear before the war crimes court located in The Hague.
Answering to Exit News’ questions on Friday, the Kosovo Specialists Chambers (KSC) neither confirmed nor denied whether the two leaders will be formally charged with war crimes.
“Unless and until an indictment is made public, it remains confidential, along with the proceedings connected with its review,” KSC spokesperson Angela Griep’s answer to Exit News read.
“The Rules of Procedure and Evidence provide that, if confirmed, an indictment will be made public no later than the Accused’s initial appearance before the Court,” she added.
On April 24, the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) filed a ten-count indictment with the KSC against Thaci and Veseli. They are indicted for murder, enforced disappearance of persons, persecution, and torture against hundreds of Kosovo Albanians, Serbs, Roma, and other ethniticies.
Thaci, Veseli, and other suspects are alleged to be responsible for nearly 100 murders.
A pre-trial judge is currently reviewing the indictment to decide whether to confirm the charges. Its 6-month period for the review ends tomorrow, on Saturday.
Kosovo’s parliament established the special war crime court, located in The Hague, in August 2015. It’s purpose is to investigate alleged crimes by former KLA members.
The establishment followed a 2011 Council of Europe report by Swiss Senator Dick Marty. In it, he addressed the alleged crimes of “members of the Kosovo Liberation Army against ethnic minorities and political rivals” from January 1998 until in December 2000.
