Witnesses fear for life in case against Kosovo’s former leaders, lawyer says

NEWS 22.02.202212:35 0 komentara
Jerry Lampen/various sources/AFP

Prosecution witnesses against former Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA, guerrilla force that fought Belgrade forces in 1998-1999 war) commander Hashim Thaci and three co-accused of crimes in Kosovo and Albania, "live in a very real climate of fear," victims' attorney David Loz said.

„Some of them, both victims and witnesses, fear that they could be killed for participating in this process,“ Loz said in a written submission to the Special Chambers for the KLA crimes in The Hague, published on the court’s website.

At the same time, the Prosecution reiterated there was an „already confirmed and persistent climate of intimidation of witnesses and obstruction of criminal proceedings against KLA members.“

„The reality is that the prosecution witnesses are and will be under enormous pressure not to cooperate with the prosecution,“ the prosecutors said in a written submission to the court.

They added the people invited by the Prosecution for an interview during the investigation felt compelled to immediately inform the public in Kosovo to avoid creating an impression of „cooperating“ with the prosecutors.

„The defence, in this case, has long sought to portray the Prosecution as an enemy of Kosovo’s interests, both in press conferences and in submissions. Prosecution witnesses are said to be undermining Kosovo. That put them under enormous and undue pressure to prove their patriotism by cooperating with the accused and distancing themselves from the Prosecution, „the prosecutors warned.

The prosecutors’ and victims’ attorneys’ submissions regarding witnesses’ harassment are part of a written discussion on how defendants’ defence attorneys will be able to talk to prosecution witnesses, to which they are entitled.

Together with Thaci, the accused are Kadri Veseli, Rexhep and Jakup Krasniqi.

Thaci (53), Veseli (54), Selimi (50) and Krasniqi (70) are charged with crimes committed in 42 illegal KLA detentions in Kosovo and Albania against at least 407 detainees, of whom some 98 were killed, from March 1998 to September 1999.

The indictment charges Thaci, Veselj, Selimi and Krasniqi in ten counts with: persecution on political and ethnic grounds, imprisonment, illegal arrest and detention, other inhumane acts, cruel treatment, torture (two counts) and murder (two counts).

These crimes are qualified on six counts as crimes against humanity, and on four counts as war crimes.

According to the indictment, Thaci and his co-defendants bear individual and command responsibility for these crimes.

All of them were members of the KLA General Staff in the period covered by the indictment: Thaci as political commissar, later commander, Veselji as intelligence chief, Selimi as chief operative, and Krasniqi as deputy commander and spokesman.

Thaci was Prime Minister, Veselji Minister of Intelligence, Selimi Interior Minister, and Krasniqi was the spokesperson in Kosovo’s interim government, proclaimed in March 1999,

According to the indictment, Thaci, Veselji, Selimi and Krasniqi participated in a joint criminal enterprise together and numerous other KLA officers and members of the interim government.

All the accused, who were arrested in Kosovo on November 4 and 5, 2020, pleaded not guilty in their first appearance before the court.

Koje je tvoje mišljenje o ovome?

Budi prvi ko će ostaviti komentar!