“I have much to say next week,” said James Rubin, who during the Kosovo war served as U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, as he confirmed that he will be a defense witness in the case against the former KLA leaders being tried in The Hague.
Rubin will testify at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
“I will be in Europe because next week I will testify at the special tribunal for war crimes in Kosovo, and as someone who assisted Madeleine Albright in establishing the initial tribunal for war crimes, I will be going back to the beginning — and I have more to say about this next week,” Rubin said on the program “Christiane Amanpour Presents: The Ex Files with James Rubin.”
Madeleine Albright, now deceased, was the U.S. Secretary of State.
The Special Court, which investigates alleged war crimes, is based in the Netherlands and operates with international staff, although it was established under Kosovo law in 2015.
There, former President of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi, former Speakers of Parliament Kadri Veseli and Jakup Krasniqi, as well as former MP Rexhep Selimi, are undergoing a prolonged judicial process at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers.
They are accused of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. All have pleaded not guilty to every charge brought against them by the Office of the Specialized Prosecutor.
The KLA Four have been held in detention in The Hague since November 2020, while their trial began in April 2023.
The prosecution closed its case in April of this year, while on September 15 the defense teams will begin presenting their evidence.
