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The special brings a new indictment against Thaçi and four other people

2024-12-06 20:14:39, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Special Court in The Hague has filed a new indictment against the former president of Kosovo, Hashim Thaci, as well as against three other former officials and another person, accusing them of influencing witnesses.

In a press release, the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo said that a judge has accepted the prosecutors' request for an indictment against Thaci and the former Minister of Justice, Hajredin Kuçi, the former head of the Kosovo Intelligence Agency, Bashkim Smakaj, the former president of Malisheva, Isni Kilaj, and Fadil Fazliun.

They are charged with criminal offenses related to "illegal attempt to influence the testimony of witnesses in the war crimes trial of Thaçi and others", the court announcement states.

Smakaj, Fazliu and Kilaj were arrested on December 5 in Kosovo and taken to the Specialized Chambers detention building in The Hague on December 6, the court said.

She added that Hajredin Kuçi was handed the confirmed indictment and the summons to appear before the preliminary procedure judge, based on the confirmed indictment, for the first appearance.

Thaçi - who is being tried by this court in a separate case for war crimes and crimes against humanity - is accused of coordinating "three separate groups" together with Smakaj, Kilaj, Kuçi and Fazliu to influence the testimony of witnesses of the prosecution in the case against him and others for war crimes.

"At least between April 12, 2023 and November 2, 2023, during non-privileged visits to the detention facility, Mr. Thaçi gave Mr. Smakaj, Mr. Kilaj, Mr. Fazliu and Mr. Kuçi confidential information about ZPS witnesses, instructions to influence the testimony of ZPS witnesses and details of how they were to do this," the indictment states. .

The new indictment against the former prime minister and president of Kosovo Thaçi and the arrest of Smakaj, Kilaj and Fayli and the summons for Kuci, come a day after the ZPS announced on Thursday that it was conducting ongoing operations in Kosovo in connection with the investigations it is conducting committed for criminal offenses against obstruction of justice.

"Mr. Smakaj, Kilaj and Fazliu have been transferred to the Detention Facility of the Specialized Chambers of Kosovo in The Hague and they will also appear before the court without undue delay", said the ZPS on Friday.

She added that Kuci was issued a summons to appear before the Specialized Chambers, after they filed two charges against him for disobeying the court.

The Specialized Chambers of Kosovo, based in The Hague, the Netherlands, have so far announced two verdicts for obstruction of justice.

Two former figures of the KLA Veterans Organization, Hysni Gucati and Nasim Haradinaj, have been convicted of obstruction of justice so far.

Meanwhile, the Special Court has also pronounced two verdicts for war crimes.

The former superior of the KLA, Salih Mustafa, has been sentenced to 22 years of imprisonment for war crimes, while the former member of the KLA, Pjetër Shala, has been sentenced to 18 years of imprisonment for arbitrary detention, torture and murder.

The court case against the former leaders of the KLA - Hashim Thaçi, Kadri Veseli, Jakup Krasniqi and Rexhep Selimi - who are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, is also being developed in the Specialized Chambers.

All have pleaded not guilty.

The Special Court was established in 2015 by the Assembly of Kosovo and is part of the judicial system of Kosovo, but operates with international personnel and is headquartered in The Hague.

The Specialized Chambers and the Specialized Prosecutor's Office are investigating the alleged crimes of members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, committed against ethnic minorities and political rivals from January 1998 to December 1998/ REL