Former U.S. diplomat Christopher Hill, during the continuation of his testimony at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague, stated that Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi were individuals dedicated to the independence of Kosovo. When asked by the defense if he remembered Kadri Veseli, Hill said he had heard the name but did not know the time.
“They were very dedicated individuals for the independence of Kosovo, and the KLA was the driving force,” he said.
When questioned by prosecutor James Pace about whether he had knowledge of intelligence systems within the Kosovo Liberation Army, Hill said he did not have such information.“I heard the name, but I do not know if it was then or later… no, I do not have information regarding the reporting system within the KLA. Certainly, the U.S. had the capability to identify KLA structures, but personally, I do not have information about the internal system of the KLA… I think they must have had such a system, but I do not have that information,” he emphasized.
When asked by the defense if former President Ibrahim Rugova had ever spoken to him about alleged crimes and attacks carried out by KLA members, Hill denied this. “No, I do not recall Rugova telling me anything about this. I remember other people in Pristina expressing their concerns about Rugova’s security,” he said.Hill also testified that Hashim Thaçi and Jakup Krasniqi were participants at Rambouillet and wanted one of them to sign the agreement.
“Thaçi and Krasniqi were participants at Rambouillet, so it was important for us that one of them sign,” he noted.
When asked by the defense if he was aware that Hashim Thaçi had met with Albanian state leaders between Rambouillet and Paris, the former U.S. diplomat said he did not have knowledge of this meeting at that time.It is recalled that Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi have been in pre-trial detention since November 2020. The former KLA leaders are accused of alleged war crimes, to which they have pleaded not guilty.
