The closing statement of the Special Prosecution Office is ongoing at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
Special Prosecutor Alan Tieger, in his closing statement, said that the general staff sought Kosovo’s independence but acknowledged that the attack on the Jashari family sparked the expansion of the war.
“Unfortunately, the beginning of March is also marked by the attack on the Jashari family and the killing of Adem Jashari and his family, an event that triggered what all parties agree was the start of the explosive expansion of the KLA from its guerrilla origins,” he said.
The closing statement of the Special Prosecution Office has started at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
This marks the final phase of the largest trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague. The Special Prosecution Office has requested eight hours for its submissions. Present in the courtroom are Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi, and Jakup Krasniqi.
“The general staff sought Kosovo’s independence and intended to continue until they achieved full victory. Political parties that considered autonomy would be punished as ‘traitors.’ It was only the KLA general staff that had the right to govern and lead in Kosovo, and those on the other side were expected to support their efforts and battles; otherwise, they would face the deserved punishment.”
Furthermore, according to the special prosecutor, the four defendants were “pioneers of the KLA.”
“The defendants were not suddenly ‘Albanianized’ by the killing of the Jashari family to volunteer; they were pioneers of the KLA who had brought it to that point. As a key member of the KLA General Staff stated, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, and Rexhep Selimi were among the main protagonists who were part of, I quote, ‘a joint structure,’ and I quote again, ‘they started and finished the war,’” he declared.
During the Special Prosecution Office’s closing statement, the special prosecutor said that “Jakup Krasniqi had contacts with Adem Jashari and enjoyed great respect.”
“Jakup Krasniqi enjoyed great respect, especially as a former political prisoner. Although he had a legal profile in the LDK in the 1990s, he had contacts with Adem Jashari in 1991 and was involved with the KLA from 1993. He explained that he joined the General Staff around early 1997. This is how the defendants came together, and throughout this time, they acted collectively.”
The special prosecutor claimed that the four defendants carried out attacks against Serbs.
In the coming two weeks, the prosecution, defense team, and defendants will have the opportunity for the final time to address the court with their submissions, 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 face charges brought by the Special Prosecution Office, which they have dismissed 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 — almost three years after the indictment was confirmed, during which the former KLA leaders have been held in the detention center in The Hague.
