At the Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC) in The Hague today, the defense team of former Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli continued presenting his closing statement. His lawyer, Rodney Dixon, said that the “list of nothingness” regarding the alleged crimes committed by Veseli continues.

The closing statement is being heard in the courtroom by Kadri Veseli himself.

Veseli’s defense argued that the prosecution has not proven that Kadri Veseli was in continuous contact with the UÇK General Staff while being abroad for months.

“There is no evidence to support the alleged claim that Veseli was in continuous contact with the General Staff while abroad… 09:57:27 This is a fatal issue in the SPO’s arguments: orders issued from abroad, reports related to intelligence matters, decisions made, appointments made, actions taken, even military actions—all of these are not illegal nor do they relate to the alleged crimes in this case or anything else connected. The list of nothingness continues,” he said.

Veseli’s lawyer, Dixon, said the judgment of the Hague court will not be forgotten and will have a place in history, and that without evidence—even weak evidence—his client, Kadri Veseli, cannot be found guilty.

“Your judgment will have a place in history and will not be forgotten. Regardless of how much the Prosecution tried to convince you to find Mr. Veseli guilty, we oppose this based on the rule of law, which is at the core of all international courts. When there is no evidence, or when the evidence is weak, there can be no conviction… 10:07:44 Unfortunately, the prosecution performs acrobatics in its arguments when there is no evidence against my client, and this is extremely concerning. You can imagine how my client feels in prison, full of anxiety in a case that could be perceived as true simply because the argument shifts it,” he said.

Harsh criticism of the prosecution was again directed today by Kadri Veseli’s lawyer. He said that his criticisms do not diminish the suffering of Kosovo war victims, who are seeking justice.

According to him, victims know that the worst injustice is so-called justice, or false justice.

“Criticism of the SPO’s arguments today regarding Veseli in no way diminishes the suffering of Kosovo’s victims, some of whom are central to the indictment in this case… The destruction and suffering caused during the war were extraordinary, which is a concerning fact for all parties, and everyone agrees on this… Time does not heal all wounds, and this applies to all conflicts. The inability to achieve justice only exacerbates this pain and suffering, and this doubt worsens when there is deception from the justice system. Victims need justice that is based on truth and reality. Victims know that the worst injustice is so-called justice, false justice. With the aim of ending impunity, which is necessary and not optional, the truth must not be sacrificed, the innocent must be protected, and our courts must maintain integrity, even if it takes over five years or longer to reach the determination of truth, as is happening here. We must move toward it to reach it by the end of this trial. Now that we know the arguments used by the SPO, the time spent, as heavy and difficult as it may be, and all the effort spent on thousands of pages of final files, the funds spent in this court, will be valuable for the victims and for everyone. They will be valuable for Kosovo and its people, regardless of ethnic affiliation,” Dixon said.

Yesterday, lawyer Rodney Dixon told the court that “there is not a single piece of evidence proving that Veseli committed war crimes.”

The defense team’s closing statement for Veseli began after the closing statements of former President Hashim Thaçi’s lawyers.

His lawyer, Lluka Mishetiq, said at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague that it is time for Hashim Thaçi to be released and return to his family.

He called the SPO’s request for 45-year prison sentences for the UÇK quartet (Thaçi, Veseli, Krasniqi, Selimi) an unserious submission.

Harsh criticism of the SPO was also voiced by lawyer Pierre Richard Prosper regarding statements about international witnesses. He said the prosecution had claimed that seven of the defense’s witnesses lacked deep knowledge and did not know the structure of the UÇK.

The final statements in the largest trial at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers began on Monday with statements from the Special Prosecutor’s Office.

This also marks the final phase, where the parties may make their last submissions to the panel of judges.

Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi, and Rexhep Selimi are facing charges brought by the Special Prosecutor’s Office, which they have described as unfounded. The defense has also rejected these charges and argued that the UÇK did not have an organized command structure.

The trial against them began on April 3, 2023, nearly three years after the indictment was confirmed, during which the former UÇK leaders have been held at the detention center in The Hague.