The Chief Prosecutor of the Office of the Specialist Prosecutor, Kimberly West, has requested 45 years in prison for Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi. She claimed that the accused committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Specialist Prosecutor Kimberly West said, “We are not seeking a sentence for the general staff but for specific individuals.”
“We stand by the fact that we are seeking a sentence for specific individuals; we are not seeking a sentence for the general staff but for particular persons. The OSP requests a conviction on all counts of the indictment and sentences of 45 years, based on the individual contributions of each person—Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi. These crimes are war crimes and crimes against humanity, and they are serious in nature. These charges have not lost their significance over time and remain very serious,” she stated.
At the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, the closing statement of the Office of the Specialist Prosecutor has begun. This marks the final phase of the largest trial in the Kosovo Specialist Chambers. The Office of the Specialist Prosecutor has requested eight hours for its submissions. Present in the courtroom are Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi.
In her statement, the prosecutor claimed that the accused killed over 100 people and abused hundreds of others, including individuals associated with the LDK, as well as Roma and Serb communities.
“All of this was done in an effort to create a credible and orderly historical record of events from 1998–1999, during which over 100 people were killed and hundreds were abused in and around more than 50 KLA detention camps. This case concerns the intent of these four accused to exercise control across Kosovo. Their determination for authority and power came into conflict with those considered opponents—people perceived to be collaborating with Serbian forces or officials, state institutions, or those not supporting the aims and methods of the KLA and the provisional government of Kosovo. Often, this included individuals associated with the LDK, as well as Roma and Serb persons. To achieve their goals, the accused committed crimes against these perceived opponents to gain control over all of Kosovo,” she said.
Last year, seven internationally recognized personalities testified in defense of former President Hashim Thaçi at the Specialist Chambers in The Hague. The specialist prosecutor argued that these witnesses “were not familiar with the KLA’s structure.”
“The seven international witnesses were placed in a situation with little information about the main actors involved. They did not speak the language at the time, interacted face-to-face with the main actors only briefly, and had almost never seen the KLA’s regulations, orders, or communications. They were not familiar at all with the KLA’s structure,” she added.
Over the next two weeks, the prosecution, defense team, and the defendants will have the opportunity to address the court one final time with their submissions in this case, KosovaPress reports.
Present in the courtroom are Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi.
Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi are facing charges brought by the Office of the Specialist Prosecutor, which they have described as unfounded. The defense has also rejected these charges, arguing that the KLA did not have an organized command structure.
The trial against them began on April 3, 2023—nearly three years after the indictment was confirmed, during which time the former KLA leaders have been held at the detention center in The Hague.
