Rexhep Selimi’s defense continued its closing statement before the panel at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague today. Lawyer Eric Tully stated that the term “KLA Military Police” is a thesis of the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office (SPO), intended to create the false impression that a type of police existed under the command of Selimi. He rejected the Prosecution’s claims that his client had control over the KLA police.

Tully emphasized that the Prosecution has failed to substantiate its arguments against Selimi.

“The SPO has failed to prove its arguments… To be clear: the term ‘KLA police’ is a theory of the SPO, formulated as a container into which the Prosecution could throw as much evidence as possible through inadmissible means to give the false impression that a police force existed and was led by Selimi as Minister of Public Order. This is an SPO attempt to create a misleading impression. However, this argument does not hold. After June 1999, the KLA Military Police remained under the command and within the structures of the KLA, controlled by the area commanders, and not Selimi. There was no such KLA police under the Ministry of Public Order overseen by Selimi as the SPO claims. The lack of operational documents supporting the SPO’s claims regarding the Ministry’s control over the Military Police is significant in this regard. Some documents collected by the SPO do not show that Selimi had any functional authority or exercised control over any police forces,” he said.

Tully also rejected the Prosecution’s claim that Rexhep Selimi established the Military Police in April 1999, describing these claims as unsupported and false.

“The SPO claimed that, alongside Selimi’s appointment in April 1999, the Ministry of Public Order’s police was also created. This is not true. In support of this claim, the SPO in the final indictment refers only to paragraph 21 of certain meeting minutes… No confirming evidence has been presented by witnesses or the SPO to support such a claim. In fact, this claim is contradicted by the content of the evidence itself…The SPO’s claim that Selimi established the Ministry of Public Order’s police in April 1999 is unsupported and false,” he said.

The presentation of closing statements by Rexhep Selimi’s defense team began yesterday. After the conclusion of Selimi’s defense today, it will be Jakup Krasniqi’s turn.

Former senior officials of the Kosovo Liberation Army will also have the opportunity on Wednesday to address the court for the final time.

Today marks the fifth day since the parties began delivering their closing statements.

This phase began with submissions from the Specialist Prosecutor’s Office, where Chief Prosecutor Kimberly West requested prison sentences of up to 45 years for the four former KLA leaders.

Last night, the Assembly of Kosovo adopted a resolution calling for a fair trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.

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 these accusations 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 at the detention center in The Hague.