In the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, the forensic linguistics expert, Helen Fraser, continued giving testimony today as a defense witness. The expert from Australia stated that her report is based on a small percentage of the audio material contained in the judicial case against Thaci and others in the case “on obstruction of justice”.

The forensic linguistics expert also continued answering questions from the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, while the accused followed today’s hearing via video-link.

During cross-examination, the Specialist Prosecutor asked the forensic linguistics expert, Helen Fraser, whether she had provided the defense team of Hashim Thaci with any draft version prior to the final report, and she confirmed that she had.

Later, prosecutor Joshua Hafetz stated that Helen Fraser had analyzed only eight audio recordings, less than 3% of the total material. He stressed that this means she has no knowledge of the remaining 97% of the audio files in the case, a point with which Fraser agreed.

Hafetz: “In your report it states that you received in total only 8 audio files, which is less than 3%...”

Fraser: “I didn’t do the calculation, but okay...” Hafetz: “That could be the case...” 

Fraser: “Yes...” 

Hafetz: “So that means you know nothing about the remaining 97% of the audio files in this judicial case...” 

Fraser: “Yes,” she said.

The defense witness further stated that her report’s claims were based on material from visits on 3 and 6 September 2023 to the Detention Centre in The Hague.

“I had this material at my disposal and I was told that this material was representative. I did not see other material, and my claims were based on these two visits,” the expert said.

Prosecutor Joshua Hafetz also asked the witness about comments she made in her report regarding the transcription of the sound of rustling paper.

The forensic linguistics expert stated that those sounds went beyond what is objectively transcribable.

In response to the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, regarding whether their transcriber had been objective and had correctly noted the sound of paper rustling, the expert herself confirmed this.

Hafetz: “Do you think that an SPO transcriber correctly recorded in the transcript the sound of paper rustling as they heard it, do you think they were objective...” 

Fraser: “Yes,” they said.

The forensic linguistics expert, Helen Fraser, who began her testimony yesterday at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers during questioning by the defence of former president Hashim Thaci, stated that she had used Artificial Intelligence to transcribe audio recordings provided by Thaci’s defence team.

In this case concerning criminal offences against the administration of justice, the accused are former president Hashim Thaci, Bashkim Smakaj, Fadil Fazliu, Isni Klaj, and Hajredin Kuci.

At the initial hearing on 27 February 2026, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.