•Thursday, February 12: Kadri Veseli's final speech concludes and Rexhep Selimi's begins
•Friday, February 13: Selim's defense concludes its speech and Jakup Krasniqi's defense begins
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Letter to the Reader — Why We're Asking for Your Support Contribute•Monday, February 16: Krasniqi concludes his closing statement and the members of the panel can ask questions.
•Wednesday, February 18: The SPO responds to the defense teams and vice versa, and the defendants also make their statements.
On Monday, in its closing arguments, the SPO requested 180 years in prison for the former leaders of the KLA General Staff, Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi. In presenting their closing arguments, prosecutors said that the staff members decided to release the detainees whenever they wanted.
During their closing arguments, the prosecutors relied on various KLA communiqués, especially those addressed to Serbia's collaborators, institutionalists, and pacifists.
Lawyer Luka Misetic began his speech on Wednesday by stating that former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci is innocent and that this is the starting point from which the decision should be made.
Lawyer: Selimi had no role in preparing KLA communiqués
Geoffrey Roberts, Rexhep Selimi's lawyer, said that his client had no role in preparing the Kosovo Liberation Army's communiqués.
In his closing statement, he disputed the Special Prosecution's claims that the KLA communiqués had two purposes: they were instructions given to area commanders to target collaborators, but they also served as a warning to potential and current opponents.
He refutes before the trial panel the Prosecution's claims that the communications were the essence of the "joint criminal enterprise".
“Selim had no role in the preparation of these documents. The evidence itself does not support the existence of a joint plan to unlawfully target opponents. The Prosecution’s main argument is that the communiqués had a dual purpose: they served as instructions to area commanders to target collaborators, but they also served as a warning to potential and actual opponents. However, neither of these purposes is supported by logic nor by the prosecution’s evidence,” he said.
Attorney Roberts called the Prosecution's arguments about the "joint criminal enterprise" unfounded and entirely speculative.
Selim's Defense: The Prosecution Failed to Prove the Accusations
The defense team of former MP Rexhep Selimi began presenting its closing arguments at the Special Court on Thursday afternoon.
His lawyer, Geoffrey Roberts, stated that Selimi is completely innocent and that the Specialist Prosecutor's Office has failed to prove the alleged crimes.
Roberts, at the beginning of his closing arguments, said that "unlike the prosecution, they have nothing to hide regarding the nature and content of their evidence."
"Selim is completely innocent of each of the crimes alleged in the indictment as the defense has proven extensively in the final file. The SPO has simply failed to fulfill its obligation to prove any of these alleged crimes beyond a reasonable doubt, that's it and that's our issue, in short, our position... The SPO must present evidence to prove the allegations against Selim beyond a reasonable doubt, in all of these respects the SPO has failed to do so more than clearly," he said.
At the hearing, Kadri Veseli's defense completed the presentation of the closing statement, which it began on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the defense team of former president Hashim Thaçi, the Specialized Prosecutor's Office, and the victims' defense have already completed their closing arguments.
Closing statements by the parties in the largest judicial process in The Hague began on Monday at the Kosovo Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
Closing statements have begun with the Specialized Prosecutor's Office, where Chief Prosecutor Kimberly West has requested 45 years in prison for Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Rexhep Selimi and Jakup Krasniqi.
The Special Judge is useless in the session
Christoph Barthe
Judge Christoph Barthe was seen fidgeting in today's Special Session during the defense statement of former Speaker of the Parliament, Kadri Veseli.
When the camera focused on Barthe, he was seen closing his eyes and remained closed for a few seconds before the camera moved away from the focus.
After Veseli, Rexhep Selimi's defense will give statements.
VIDEO: The moment when Barthen falls asleep
Dixon disputes claim that KLA communiqués were based on information from Veseli
Lawyer Rodney Dixon disputes claim that KLA communiqués were based on information from Veseli
Veseli's lawyer, Dixon, said that the SPO claims that the KLA communiqués were based on intelligence information provided by his client.
"There is not a shred of evidence" for this claim, Dixon said.
He said that claiming to create a connection between the communications and Veseli is the only way for him to be linked to crimes.
"But, this is a desperate way for the ZPS to blame my client and provides no evidence," Dixon said.
According to him, the ZPS claims to link Veseli to Communiqué 80, which he said was issued in June 1999, when, according to Dixon, Veseli was no longer in charge of the KLA's intelligence-counterintelligence service.
The defense speaks about SHIK
Veseli's lawyer, Rodney Dixon, said that the SPO has confused statements made in post-war interviews by Veseli about the Kosovo Intelligence Service, presenting them as statements made about the KLA's intelligence-counterintelligence service.
He said that the ZPS says that Veseli had led the apparatus for identifying opponents, but Dixon argued that in a 2011 interview, when Veseli was questioned by prosecutors, he was talking about SHIK and the year 2000 and the directorates of this service.
Dixon said that the SPO claims that SHIK has been operational since 1999, but claimed that there is no evidence that this service was operational at that time, and only towards the end of this year did things "start to move" on this issue.
Veseli's lawyer said that this service was created after the war.
"The evidence shows us that during the war it was impossible to create this structure. The treatments and contacts abroad helped him in the previous structure. After Rambouillet, Veseli left his post as head of the G2 military service, within the KLA, and this is April 1999 and became the head of the civilian SHIK. So SHIK was part of the [provisional] Government," said Dixon./rel
Lawyer Dixon requests that Veseli be released on the principle of "In dubio pro reo"
Lawyer Rodney Dixon has requested that former Speaker of the Parliament, Kadri Veseli, be released in accordance with the principle "In dubio pro reo".
"In the presence of doubt, a judge must choose the mildest path, which is the part of a clear conscience sure not to convict while there is even the slightest possibility of his innocence," Dixon said.
What is the principle “In dubio pro reo”?
If the evidence is not sufficient to clearly prove that the person committed the criminal offense, the court cannot convict him/her based solely on suspicion. In this case, the principle “in dubio pro reo” applies and the defendant is acquitted.
It is one of the main guarantees of a fair trial in modern legal systems.
Veseli's lawyer - to the judges: You were not able to explain things to the end
Rodney Dixon
The defense attorney for former Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli, attorney Rodney Dixon, in his closing argument, said that the Specialized Prosecutor's Office has been in a comfortable position during the trial. He said that the trial panel has not clarified the disputed issues until the end, despite asking numerous questions.
"We have said all along that the prosecution has been comfortable and has not been violated and on the other hand and on the other hand there has been minimal disturbance and very few supplementary questions have occurred. For example, I saw all the records. I saw the number of minutes spent by you honorable judges while the questions have been numerous. Honorable judges, if we can have a very important debate on common law, on civil law, on the inquisitorial system and others, I am sure that this is a debate that will be developed by other courts in the future," said Dixon.
Dixon pointed out that the questions asked by the judges were cited 36 times in relation to his client, although the prosecution has not presented any material evidence related to them.
"However, I am not going to go into detail here, but I want to say that despite the methods used and the evidence that emerged from your questions, you, honorable judges, were unable to fully explain things. I believe you have noticed that the SPO has cited your questions to the honorable court 36 times, the questions that you have asked only on the issues of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, and despite the fact that there is no evidence to substantiate the prosecution's position on Mr. Veseli, the questions have been numerous," stated Dixon.
Veseli's lawyer: There are people who have lied under oath
Rodney Dixon
Veseli's lawyer, Rodney Dixon, said that there have been cases where the Prosecutor's Office has attacked witnesses.
According to him, he has given the liars a chance to respond.
He added that there were people who lied under oath, not telling the truth.
"The witnesses called by the SPO were called to affirm the truth of its position. But at the same time we have seen the SPO attack witnesses and we have had real people from whom the SPO has not received answers, while liars have been given the opportunity to give their answers. So how is it possible that the court can rely on certain parts of the witnesses to give a verdict of guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, while others are said to be unreliable in any respect? There have been people who have lied under oath, not telling the truth," Dixon stated.
VIDEO:
Veseli's Defense: When there is no evidence, there can be no conviction
Kadri Veseli during the hearing where lawyer Rodney Dixon was speaking
The defense of former parliamentarian Kadri Veseli continued its criticism of the Specialized Prosecutor's Office on Thursday, emphasizing that there is no evidence that Veseli was in constant contact with the General Staff while he was abroad.
His lawyer, Rodney Dixon, reiterated that the SPO has no evidence for the allegations it has made against Veseli, while adding that the victims need justice, but justice "based on truth and reality."
"In order to end impunity, it is necessary not to sacrifice the truth, the innocent must be protected, and our courts must be courts of integrity, regardless of whether it takes them over 5 years or longer to arrive at a determination of the truth, as is the case here," Dixon said on the second day of closing statements.
He called on the jury to separate facts from fabrications, insisting that "when there is no evidence, or when the evidence is weak, there can be no conviction."
"Your verdict will have a place in history and will not be forgotten."
VIDEO: