In his closing statement, the lawyer of former President Hashim Thaci, Luka Misetic, requested that Thaci be acquitted of all charges brought by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office.
Misetic previously stated that the Prosecutor’s Office has not provided any evidence that his client was involved in committing the crimes alleged in the indictment.
“We have never said that the SPO must prove a significant contribution for each of the charges in the indictment, but the standard of the Specialist Chambers, which reflects Tribunal standards, is that there must be a significant contribution to the crimes in the indictment. The SPO has not presented any evidence for this. Please acquit him of all charges,” he said.
Thaci’s lawyer also urged the court not to set a dangerous international precedent, stating that non-state armed groups must have a full justice system in place before they can carry out detentions.
Misetic added that the Prosecutor’s Office has not been able to prove its claims regarding the alleged joint criminal plan distributed through written orders.
“In the prosecution’s final file, in the case overview they claim to respond to the question regarding the alleged joint criminal plan, you can see there is no evidence proving that the joint criminal plan was distributed through written orders,” he said.
The trial in The Hague continues with the statement of Kadri Veseli’s lawyer, Rodrey Dixon.
