Balkans | The trial of former Kosovo President Thaci in The Hague on March 1

The Special Court in The Hague, Netherlands, announced that the trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who has been detained since 2020, and three other defendants will begin in March.

A preparatory session was held at the Special Court in The Hague, known as the “Kosovo Special Prosecutor’s Office and Chambers”.

At the hearing, the Public Prosecutor’s Office announced its readiness to prosecute the KLA leaders, former President Hashim Thaci, former Speakers of Parliament Jakub Krasniqi and Kadri Veseli, and former MP Rexp Selimi to begin on March 1.

The prosecution stated that there were more than 300 witnesses in the case, but it was not possible for all of them to come to the courtroom to testify.

The presiding judge, Charles Smith, confirmed that the proceedings would begin in March, but the proceedings could take longer than expected due to the excessive workload.

Smith stated that the experiment could take more than the expected 5 years. The Kosovo Special Chambers and the Prosecutor’s Office, also known as the Kosovo Special Chambers and the Prosecutor’s Office, the Special Court and the Prosecutor’s Office within it were established in The Hague, Netherlands in 2011.

This judicial body, set up to investigate and prosecute war crimes allegedly committed in Kosovo between 1998-2000, is made up of international judges and prosecutors. Since the beginning of 2019, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has invited dozens of former KLA members to testify. The confirmation of the first indictment against Thaci and the three other defendants took place on 26 October 2020. The accused have been detained in The Hague since 2020.

Source: AA