Today at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, the defense of former president Hashim Thaçi began its closing arguments in this trial. Thaçi’s lawyer, Luka Misetic, stated at the outset that Hashim Thaçi is innocent.
During his closing statement, he further argued that the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO) has failed to meet the burden of proof against Thaçi.
For four and a half hours, Thaçi’s defense is expected to argue for his innocence, KosovaPress reports.
Present in the courtroom are former president Hashim Thaçi, former Assembly speakers Kadri Veseli and Jakup Krasniqi, and former MP Rexhep Selimi.
“Hashim Thaçi is innocent. That is your starting point when you begin your deliberations to reach a verdict. We know that in this procedure he is innocent because the law requires you to presume him innocent. Believe it or not, I have heard presidents of international tribunals give speeches where they misunderstand this. They say that a ‘finding of not guilty’ does not mean that he is innocent. That way of thinking misunderstands the entire international criminal trial process. Before you are four men whom the law says you must presume innocent. This case has been brought here because the SPO has made allegations claiming that it has evidence proving beyond reasonable doubt that they are guilty, and consequently for more than five years we have been involved in this process where the SPO and its allegations must be tested to see whether they can prove those claims. This trial is not an examination or review of Hashim Thaçi’s life; it is a test of the SPO’s claim that Hashim Thaçi should no longer enjoy the presumption of innocence,” he said.
During the defense presentation, Misetic stressed that international witnesses testified that the events taking place were not linked to Thaçi, based on their information, including intelligence sources.
“You must find that the SPO has failed, that it has not managed to prove its charges and reach an acquittal in which the accused are released from the charges. Hashim Thaçi will remain innocent as a matter of law… The SPO has not alleged that any witness in this trial was influenced. You heard from numerous international witnesses that Hashim Thaçi was not suspected of war crimes while these events were occurring and unfolding. These witnesses told you that they were informed about events on the ground through diplomatic sources, intelligence services and others, as well as through their personal experiences, including with Hashim Thaçi. You heard from former Assistant Secretary of State James Rubin, who told you that in late June 1999 he specifically investigated the allegations made in The New York Times in June ’99 regarding Thaçi. He checked and verified the available information and sources the U.S. government had and did not find a single piece of evidence linking Mr. Thaçi to war crimes,” he said.
Misetic added that the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office is attempting to dismiss the testimony of international witnesses who testified in Thaçi’s defense.
“The SPO is trying to dismiss the testimony of these international witnesses by saying that they were uninformed about the internal developments and the internal functioning of the KLA,” he said.
The Specialist Prosecutor’s Office and the victims’ counsel concluded their closing arguments yesterday in the trial against Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi.
Specialist Prosecutor Kimberly West has requested 45-year prison sentences for each of the four former KLA leaders, amounting to a total of 180 years in prison.
Yesterday, the prosecution also alleged that former president Hashim Thaçi “lied several times to internationals,” citing the testimonies of James Rubin and Wesley Clark.
The presentation of closing arguments marks the final stage of the largest judicial process at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
The prosecution, victims’ counsel, defense teams and the former KLA leaders, during this week and next week, have the opportunity for the last time to address the trial panel with their submissions in this process.
Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi are facing charges brought by the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, which they have described as unfounded. The defense has also rejected the charges and argued that the KLA did not have an organized command structure.
Their trial began on April 3, 2023 — nearly three years after the indictment was confirmed, during which time the former KLA leaders have been held in detention in The Hague.
