The Hague-based Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) set a hearing for December 17, in the case of Kosovo Liberation Army former high figures, Hashim Thaci, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi.
This is the second Status Conference set from the court after the one held on November 18, when the defense opposed the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) request for the trial to start by the summer 2021.
Former Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci, former Parliament Speaker Kadri Veseli, former Parliament Speaker Jakup Krasniqi and the former MP Rexhep Selimi are indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Four of them were members of the KLA Headquarters holding high leading positions during the war.
The charges against them consist of six counts of crimes against humanity, namely: persecution, imprisonment, other inhumane acts, torture, murder and enforced disappearance of persons. And four counts of war crimes, namely: arbitrary detention, cruel treatment, torture and murder.
The SPO indictment’s supporting material consists of approximately 1842 items, including the evidences of 153 witnesses some in the form of statements and some in the form of transcripts.
The prosecution describes the accused as members of a “joint criminal enterprise” sharing the common purpose to gain and exercise control over Kosovo.
Hashim Thaci resigned as Kosovo’s President on November 5, and was taken to The Hague on the same day, together with his former KLA fellows, Kadri Veseli and Rexhep Selimi. While Jakup Krasniqi was arrested on November 4 after around a nine-hour raid in his house.
The Kosovo Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office were established five years ago, in August 2015, by the Kosovo Parliament to investigate crimes allegedly committed by former Kosovo Liberation Army members.
