The testimony of forensic expert Koen Herlaar has concluded. He is the second witness called by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office in the case against Thaci and others on charges of obstruction of justice. His testimony began yesterday and continued this morning.
After a 15-minute break, the hearing of the third witness in this trial is scheduled to begin.
Isni Kilaj’s lawyer, Joe Holmes, requested seven days for the parties to submit filings, arguing that the Dutch witness’s testimony is incomplete.
“We have a brief request regarding witness 08. As we approach the end of the testimony of the Prosecutor’s witnesses, there are some issues mentioned by witness 08 that we submit relate more to the fairness of the process and the admissibility of his testimony, because we believe and submit that this is incomplete testimony. We know that many important questions asked by defence teams were not answered by the witness. Therefore, essentially, we request seven days to submit filings regarding this matter so that we can address the expert’s reports and also give ourselves and the other defence teams an opportunity to respond on this point,” he said.
After the 15-minute break, the sole judge in the case, Christoph Gosnell, announced a decision regarding the defence’s request.
“The deadline for defence filings will be next Tuesday, which seems to be six days, not seven. The SPO will also have six days to respond, which will be Monday, two weeks from now,” Gosnell announced.
Before the conclusion of the testimony, in questions from Hashim Thadi’s lawyer, Sophie Menegon, regarding the status of the Netherlands Forensic Institute, the Dutch witness said that it is an independent agency operating under the Ministry of Security and Justice. He confirmed that he is a public sector employee in the Netherlands. Following these questions, the session moved into private proceedings.
Hashim Thaci, Bashkim Smakaj, Isni Kilaj, Fadil Fazliu, and Hajredin Kud, who are accused of obstruction of justice, pleaded not guilty before the court.
The prosecution claims to possess evidence, including audio recordings from the Detention Centre in The Hague.
The defence lawyers have challenged these claims, stating that the prosecution’s evidence does not prove the criminal offenses alleged.
Hashim Thaci and the others are accused of allegedly providing instructions and confidential information to witnesses regarding the war crimes trial during visits to The Hague in 2023.
Former president Hashim Thavi is also charged with alleged war crimes, along with Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi.
Closing arguments for this case were presented in February.
The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office has requested 45 years in prison for each member of the KLA quartet. Thaci, Veseli, Krasniqi, and Selimi pleaded not guilty to all charges, with the defence arguing that there is no evidence supporting the SPO’s claims.
The case has now passed to the court panel, which has three months to issue a final decision and may request additional time due to the voluminous nature of the case file.
Closing statements began on February 9 and concluded on February 18.
The trial against the KLA quartet began on April 3, 2023 — almost three years after the indictment was confirmed and the former KLA leaders were held at the Detention Centre in The Hague.
