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Russia:
Besnik Krasniqi
- 24 October 2020 10:08
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The Special Court has not indicated whether or not the indictment against President Hashim Thaçi and the head of the Democratic Party, Kadri Veseli, has been confirmed, even though on Friday it has been six months since it was presented to him by the prosecution body. The Specialized Prosecutor's Office suspects that Thaçi and Veseli have committed war crimes.
Friday is the deadline within which the judge of the preliminary procedure had to decide on the indictment. Since the Special has not published any information about this case, jurists, like Arianit Koci, believe that the indictment has been at least partially confirmed, writes KOHA.
"I think that the indictment has been confirmed, at least partially, because the judge of the preliminary procedure had six months and days to confirm or drop the indictment", Koci told KOĖS. "Since until today we do not have the information that the indictment has been laid, therefore it has been confirmed".
On April 24, the Specialized Prosecutor's Office submitted to the Specialized Chambers a ten-count indictment, through which Thaçi, Veseli and others are accused of a series of crimes against humanity and war crimes, among which, illegal killing, forced disappearance of persons, persecution and torture.
"Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli and other suspects are criminally responsible for approximately 100 illegal murders," the announcement said. "The crimes presented in the indictment involve hundreds of identified Kosovo Albanian, Serb and Roma victims and political opponents."
The Specialized Prosecutor had deemed it necessary to release this information about the charges, as he had said that Thaçi and Veseli were making repeated attempts to obstruct and sabotage the work of the Special.
But, now that the deadline within which the indictment must be confirmed or rejected has ended, the Hague has not shown willingness to provide information.
"My colleagues in the Specialized Chambers will respond," said Chris Bennett, spokesman for the Specialized Prosecutor's Office.
And, contained in the information, they were also shown in the institution that Bennett mentioned.
"Until an indictment is made public, it remains confidential, as well as the procedures related to its examination", says a written response of the Specialized Chambers. "Based on the Rules of Procedure and Evidence, if an indictment is confirmed, it will be made public no later than the first appearance of the accused before the Court."
Lawyer Koci also shows the reasons why the Special may decide not to share with the public the information about the indictment against Thaci e Veseli.
